[en] This paper evaluates the water footprint of Spanish olives and olive oil over the period 1997-2008. In particular, it analyses the three colour components of the water footprint: green (rainwater stored in the soil), blue (surface and groundwater) and grey (freshwater required to assimilate load of pollutants). Apparent water productivity and virtual water embedded in olive oil exports have also been studied. Results show more than 99.5% of the water footprint of one liter of bottled olive oil is related to the olive production, whereas less than 0.5% is due to the other components such as bottle, cap and label. Over the studied period, the green water footprint in absolute terms of Spanish olive oil production represents about 72% in rainfed systems and just 12% in irrigated olive orchards. Blue and grey water footprints represent 6% and 10% of the national water footprint, respectively. It is shown that olive production is concentrated in regions with the smallest water footprint per unit of product. However, the increase of groundwater consumption in the main olive producing region (Andalusia), from 98 to 378 Mm3 between 1997 and 2008, has added significant pressure in the upstream Guadalquivir basin. This raises questions about the sustainability of irrigated olive orchards for export from the region. Finally, the virtual water related to olive oil exports illustrate the importance of green water footprint of rainfed olives amounting to about 77% of the total virtual water exports.

[es] Este art&iacute;culo eval&uacute;a la huella h&iacute;drica de las aceitunas y aceite de oliva en Espa&ntilde;a para el per&iacute;odo 1997-2008. En concreto, analiza los tres componentes de color de la huella h&iacute;drica: verde (lluvia almacenada en el suelo), azul (aguas superficiales y subterr&aacute;neas) y gris (agua dulce requerida para asimilar una determinada carga de contaminantes). La productividad aparente del aceite de oliva y el agua contenida en las exportaciones de aceite de oliva tambi&eacute;n han sido estudiadas. Los resultados muestran que m&aacute;s del 99,5% de la huella h&iacute;drica de un litro de aceite de oliva embotellado est&aacute; relacionada con la producci&oacute;n de la aceituna, mientras que menos del 0,5% es a causa de otros componentes (botella, tap&oacute;n y etiqueta). La huella h&iacute;drica verde en t&eacute;rminos absolutos de la producci&oacute;n espa&ntilde;ola de aceite de oliva representa un 72% en sistemas de secano y tan s&oacute;lo 12% en olivares en regad&iacute;o. Las huellas h&iacute;dricas azul y gris suponen un 6% y 10% de la huella h&iacute;drica nacional, respectivamente. Se muestra que la mayor producci&oacute;n de aceituna se concentra en las regiones con la menor huella h&iacute;drica por unidad de producto. Sin embargo, el incremento del riego con aguas subterr&aacute;neas en Andaluc&iacute;a, de 98 a 378 Mm3 entre 1997 y 2008, ha a&ntilde;adido una presi&oacute;n significativa a la zona alta de la cuenca del Guadalquivir. Esto pone en debate la sostenibilidad del olivar en regad&iacute;o para exportaciones desde la regi&oacute;n. Finalmente, el agua virtual relacionada con las exportaciones de aceite de oliva indica la importancia de la huella h&iacute;drica verde del olivar en secano contando con el 77% del total de agua virtual exportada.