ABSTRACT
The chapter examines the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus conceptualisation from a rural perspective, analysing its development and uptake in agricultural policy. As the rural economy relies on water and energy for the production of food, the agricultural policy can significantly benefit from adopting the nexus thinking. The chapter analyses the examples of nexus thinking in agricultural policy at the national (UK), regional (European Union) and international (United Nations) levels. It demonstrates how nexus thinking has been embedded in policy-making and the extent of its adoption and success in pursuing sustainable food production and water management and increased utilisation of renewable energy. The chapter discusses the varying degrees of success of nexus approaches to agricultural policy-making at the three levels (national, regional and international) and considers achievements and failures through the lens of relational equity management. The co-production of knowledge via transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches is identified as an enabling factor for successfully integrating nexus thinking in agricultural policy.
