Water footprint in supply chain management: An introduction

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore water-related risks and challenges, as well as water management opportunities, in the modern globalised production landscape from an end-to-end supply chain perspective. As environmentally sensitive consumers press for water-friendly products, freshwater resources' preservation has emerged as a major challenge for leading corporations that are incorporating water management initiatives into their social responsibility agendas to foster the sustainability of their supply chain networks. With respect to the scientific community, although research on water footprint assessment is increasing rapidly, the lack of a systemic integration of the water footprint aspect into the whole spectrum of the supply chain operations is evident. In this context, this Special Issue focuses on the investigation of the impact of water stewardship policies on water use and scarcity minimisation, sustainability performance and supply chain configuration.