The water footprint of sugar and sugar-based ethanol

The two most cultivated sugar crops are sugar cane and sugar beet. For centuries both crops have been used for the production of sucrose, generally known as table sugar. During the past decades, bio-ethanol production from sugar crops has become competitive with sugar production. In the USA High Fructose Maize Syrups (HFMS) and maize-based ethanol are two substitutes for sugar and sugar crop-based ethanol. Crop production in general, and sugar cane production in particular, requires a lot of water. The aim of this study is to calculate the water footprint of sugar, HFMS and bio-ethanol in the main producing countries, to identify favourable production areas and possibilities, and to assess the impact on the water system in certain production areas