Radio Interview at RFI with Journalist Alison Hird on Virtual Water and Food Security:
Finale du concours
Ma Thèse en 180 secondes
Université Paris-Saclay
My latest publication in the Huffington Post (in French):
Why should we pay for the Water we Eat? 
HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU EAT? 
My latest youtube video with science journalist Greg Foot, supported by the Axa Research Fund
And my latest page on the Axa Research Fund website, thanks to the ARF teams!
About the picture

The picture above was taken for the Axa Research Fund photo contest, asking their researchers to portray themselves in a way that clearly evokes their research topic. So this is me at my desk, surrounded by daily objects and foods (computer, a lot of books, a cookie, a water bottle, my cotton shirt - and a stolen plant from my department's coffee room). The little drops of water represent the Water Footprint of each object, meaning the amount of water that was necessary to produce and process the good. The purpose is to remind us that producing consumable goods not only requires labor, technology and capital -- it also requires water. Generally more than we thought. 

Water is a precious and vital resource which is unevenly allocated across the world. 70% of the world's water withdrawal are actually used for agriculture - that is, to feed the world. Efficient and fair food trade can enable water-poor countries to import water-intensive goods and alleviate the pressure of scarcity. But more needs to be done: water resources are being increasingly depleted because people and countries lack information about the best use they could make of it. Which brings us to two main challenges: 1) make clever decisions about the crops we choose to cultivate according to local soil and climate characteristics (don't grow cereals in dry regions) and 2) put a price on water, not to exclude people from consuming it, but to give the right incentives to farmers and consumers. As of today, inputs of labor and capital have a price, but water doesn't -- even though it's a vital input to food goods. 
That's what this picture is all about.