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Table 3 shows the analysis of strategy 2. This strategy critically depends on a change in the economic activity of farmers from growing traditional crops to growing crops that are drought or salt tolerant. The authors suspect that strategy 2 implies the embracement of a new discourse as well. The current discourse is still that the public water management authorities (Rijkswaterstaat and the water boards) are considered responsible for fresh water supply, although discussions are raised more and more if this remains justifiable in the future. The authors argue that this is still in contradiction to a discourse of farmers being self supportive with regard to fresh water supply. From an economic point of view, strategy 2 also implies the emergence of a consumer market for drought or salt tolerant crops. The authors emphasize that the successful emergence of such a market is highly uncertain and cannot be depended on. It implies that consumers will have to change their dietary habits in the future and that farmers will alter their production processes without having the certainty of receiving (higher) revenues.

Table 3

Institutional and socio-cultural analysis of strategy 2 (Current policy → Efficient water use → Drought/salinity tolerant crops)

Domain	Structure	Structure elements of strategy 2	Actors	Governance level of complexity
Institutional	Responsibilities Norms Legislation Policy plans Budget Procurement	Shift from government to self-supportive users Adjust local Water level agreements	Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities, end users Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities, end users	3 3
Social	Belief systems Awareness	Change discourse that government is responsible for freshwater supply Farmers should be more self-supportive in (fresh)water supply Consumer adjust to salt tolerant products	Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities Consumers	5 4 5
Economic	Economic activity Logistic	Switch to growing drought/salt tolerant crops Emergent new market for drought /salt tolerant crops	Entrepreneurs Consumers	1 5
Knowledge	Research programs Simulation/forecasting software tech	Optimization drought/salt tolerant crops	Famers, Knowledge institutes	2

Domain	Structure	Structure elements of strategy 2	Actors	Governance level of complexity
Institutional	Responsibilities Norms Legislation Policy plans Budget Procurement	Shift from government to self-supportive users Adjust local Water level agreements	Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities, end users Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities, end users	3 3
Social	Belief systems Awareness	Change discourse that government is responsible for freshwater supply Farmers should be more self-supportive in (fresh)water supply Consumer adjust to salt tolerant products	Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities Waterboards, Provinces, Municipalities Consumers	5 4 5
Economic	Economic activity Logistic	Switch to growing drought/salt tolerant crops Emergent new market for drought /salt tolerant crops	Entrepreneurs Consumers	1 5
Knowledge	Research programs Simulation/forecasting software tech	Optimization drought/salt tolerant crops	Famers, Knowledge institutes	2

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