Virtual water flows, incorporated in global food trade has increased the last decade. The drivers and consequences are complex. These complex relations between humans and water resources are studied from different perspectives. In this article, an overview of four such perspectives on water in global food production and trade is provided. These four perspectives are: (1) More crop per drop for increasing production, (2) Less drop per crop for reducing impacts, (3) National food security and import dependency; and (4) Local values and implications of water used in export food production. Each of the perspectives is valuable in the sense of representing different value frameworks, which represent contrasting norms and convictions, belief systems, and discourses; which are often incommensurable.

近十年来，纳入全球粮食贸易的虚拟水流量有所增加。驱动因素和后果是复杂的。从不同的角度研究了人类与水资源之间的这些复杂关系。在本文中，提供了有关全球粮食生产和贸易中的水的四个此类观点的概述。这四个观点是：（1）为了增加产量，每滴作物产量增加；（2）为了减少影响，每粒作物产量减少；（3）国家粮食安全和进口依赖性；（4）用于出口粮食生产的水的当地价值和含义。在代表不同的价值框架的意义上，每种观点都是有价值的，它们代表了相对的规范和信念，信念体系和话语。这往往是无与伦比的。