Virtual Water Trade quantifies the amount of water virtually embedded in the goods that leave the country of production (export) to reach the country of consumption (import).
It represents the water amount (in cubic meter) that has been used to produce the exported goods.
Water Footprint quantifies the total amount of water used to produce a product.
Water Footprint of production quantifies the total volume of water (cubic meter, m3) used to produce primary crops and animal products at the producer stage. Primary crops are those which come directly from the land and without having undergone any real processing, apart from cleaning. Examples include maize, soybean, cattle meat.
Unit Water Footprint of production quantifies the amount of water used to produce a unit of primary crops or animal products (liter per kilogram or cubic meter per tonne) at the producer stage. Examples include maize, soybean, cattle meat.
Unit Water Footprint of consumption quantifies the amount of water per unit of primary and processed crops (in liter per kilogram or cubic meter per tonne) at the final consumer stage (a person, a community, a company). Examples include maize, soybean, flour of maize, soybean oil.