Application of water footprint to olive growing systems in the Apulia region: a comparative assessment

Based upon results obtained, the high-density cropping system was found to be the most competitive due to the reduced WF(tot) compared with the other systems investigated. Hence, the authors recommend expanded implementation of agricultural practices designed to reduce the WF, to enhance environmental sustainability and to optimise management and ecological costs in the olive production sector. This research contributes to enhance the knowledge on the applicability and usefulness of foot-printing tools for assessing and enabling more environmentally sustainable agricultural systems for water usage.