Our Water-Energy-Food Nexus reports illustrate the connections between water, energy and food systems. Know the Nexus (the Report) explores policies that affect the connections and can throw the systems out of balance. Meet the Nexus (the Guide) shows consumers how our every day actions and purchases influence the three systems.

Nexus Reports

Food, Water and Energy: Know the Nexus (2013)

“Know the Nexus” explains the clear consequences for public health, the economy and the environment when the food, water and energy nexus becomes unbalanced. It describes how and where these systems intersect, how they rely upon each other to function and how they can have a significant impact on each other. It also describes how our national policies and management (or lack thereof) on topics such as fracking and food and energy subsidies affect the systems in both positive and negative ways. We need policies that address the complexity of the nexus at all levels of government. “Know the Nexus” urges individuals, businesses and governments to take a nexus approach.

Meet the Nexus: How Food, Water and Energy are Connected (2014)

The Nexus Guide shows how everyday purchasing decisions have a profound effect on each other and suggests nine simple, daily choices to make in order to use these systems more sustainably. The Nexus concept is broken down into easy-to-digest parts by revealing the hidden connections between the systems in the grocery store, at home and in the kitchen. It also highlights how some local governments and small businesses are making good nexus decisions that protect the environment and keep costs down.

What is the nexus?

Recognition of the nexus and the influence of the three systems on each other came about in the early 2010s as planners, managers and scientists began trying to understand how countries need to adapt to achieve and maintain food, water and energy security in the face of climate change.

Read up on how these three systems influence and are influenced by each other.