Sep 14, 2020 | Agriculture Water security is becoming an increasingly problematic issue worldwide. S. G. among the various water use sectors in many river basins. Agriculture looks set to remain the biggest user of water into the middle of this century. Research to develop indicators that inherently represent environmental impacts of water use has flourished in the past few years, specifically in the framework of life cycle assessment (LCA). Vital Water Graphics—An Overview of the State of the World's Fresh and Marine Waters. , Hoekstra A. Y. de Boer , Davis R. J., Zadow E. N., McGahan E. J., Watts P. J., Nielsen W. M., Cottle D., Martin P. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. All LCA approaches include on-farm water used for irrigation, drinking water, and animal servicing (e.g., cleaning out buildings). The global water cycle is complex. Rep. Ser. Search for other works by this author on: Pisciculture et environnement: Apports de l'analyse de cycle de vie. Plant science innovations are vital to keep crops healthy and maintain this thriving economy. Food and agriculture are the largest consumers of water, requiring one hundred times more than we use for personal needs. The charts show the global average water footprint/requirement for the production of one tonne of product (in cubic metres); per kilocalorie (per litre); and per gram of … Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Key figures and rankings about brands and companies, Consumer insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about regions and countries, Everything you need to know about Consumer Goods, Identify market potentials of the digital future, Technology Market Outlook P. Globally, at least 1.8 billion people use a drinking-water source contaminated with faeces By 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas 2.6 billion people have gained access to an improved drinking-water source since 1990 Irrigation water and rainfall are taken up by plants and then transpired, moving to another location via the atmosphere. In order to accommodate the 70 billion animals raised annually for human consumption, a third of the planet’s ice-free land surface, as well as nearly sixteen percent of global freshwater, is devoted to growing livestock. , Wiedemann S. G., Rowley H. V., Tucker R. W. Pimentel A. Y. When the fact that roughly 55 billion animals are slaughtered each year is considered, this is truly astounding. By one definition, human populations face water scarcity when annual renewable water supplies in a region fall below 1,000 m3/person, which currently occurs throughout most countries in Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (United Nations Environment Programme, 2008). B. G. All LCA approaches include water used for crop (i.e., feed and forage) production, with some minor differences in which upstream processes are included (some excluding water used in infrastructure or transportation). Which Method(s) Should Be Used to Assess Water Use by Livestock? Of the water used in agriculture, only about half of it can be reused, because much of it evaporates or is lost during transit. After all, we have an abundance of rivers, lakes, and even three oceans, and we’re home to the largest fresh water lakes in the world. , Doreau M., Huguenin J., Lazard J., Porphyre V., Soussana J. F., Toutain B. Chapagain (1997), who reported 200,000 L/kg of beef, did not specify the method used, but the calculation was based on extensive rangeland systems, which require a large area for animal production. Livestock water use and productivity in the Nile Basin. , Sanguansri P., Nolan M., Marks N. Ridoutt 28 The Water Wheel July/August 2018 Irrigation water use other types of vegetation vary across the country at different scales. The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Global water Industry" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics. For example, when early-stage fresh grass is fed, animals do not require drinking water. International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This includes all nonagricultural activities, including industry, services, and domestic purposes, as well as some agricultural activities, such as crop irrigation, livestock drinking water use, use in factories producing inputs (e.g., seeds, fertilizers, animal feeds), or those producing animal products (e.g., dairy factories, slaughterhouses, tanneries). , Pfister S. Ridoutt New, Figures and insights about the advertising and media world, Industry Outlook Seasonal changes in rainfall are predicted to be even greater, with the greatest increases in December to February in the Tibetan Plateau (+19%) and northern Europe (+15%) and in June to August in southern Asia (+11%), and the greatest decreases in December to February in the Sahara (–18%) and central America (–14%) and in June to August in the Mediterranean (–29%) and southern Africa (–23%; IPCC, 2007). As a consequence, livestock in these systems use significantly different amounts of water. How Much Water Does Vertical Farming Use? The same pattern holds for total use of other resources, such as fossil energy, phosphorus, or land. B. G. 1: Main Report. Much is this water is used to irrigate crops. Sources and methods: The data on water consumption in the world is provided by the … Agriculture is the largest water user worldwide, accounting for 70 percent of total freshwater withdrawals on average 3 – but these amounts can reach as much as 95 percent in some developing countries. In any case, the conceptual chain from estimating water use to estimating its potential impact is not built explicitly into the water footprint concept. Most of the total volume of water (98%) refers to the water footprint of the feed for the animals. Under Dutch conditions, de Boer et al. 82: 105-119. No. Review of GHG and Water in the Red Meat Industry—Report 1. Similar ranges (25 to 234 L/kg of body weight of beef) were observed by Ridoutt et al. As for impact indicators, all LCA approaches define midpoint indicators of water-use impact. A more efficient use of water in agriculture would certainly help. According to a 2012 study, “A Global Assessment of the Water Footprint of Farm Animal Products,” by Mesfin M. Mekonnen and Arjen Y. Hoekstra of the University of Twente in the Netherlands, “The total water footprint of animal production constitutes 29% of the water footprint of total agricultural production,” with one-third of that water being used to raise beef cattle. It indicated that 1 334 562 ha or 1.1% of South Africa’s land surface was actively irrigated during 2014/15. For example, corn, which is widely used for livestock feeding, is highly sensitive to water scarcity, requiring irrigation for maximum biomass production when rainfall is insufficient. In the Wellington region, Do New Globally, 70 percent of water withdrawals are used for agriculture. Because food sovereignty should be a target for each country, an increase in animal productivity can be an objective; however, this is often difficult to achieve because of environmental, social, and economic constraints. As with most agricultural LCA, most existing studies stop at the farm gate, some continue to the slaughterhouse or food-processing factory, and at least one continues to the end consumer. Livestock farming plays a major role in many communities, especially for smallholders in developing countries. L. , Finkbeiner M. Blanfort , Chapagain A. K., Aldaya M. M., Mekonnen M. M. Mekonnen That matters because the water doesn’t just appear – it has to be pumped in and out of the slaughterhouse. The hidden water resource use behind meat and dairy, Water footprints of nations: Water use by people as a function of their consumption pattern. Water cycle and people: Water for feeding humanity, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Zebus drinking at a reservoir in the Garissa region (northern Kenya). (2011) estimated weighted blue water use as 61 L, of which 75% arose from on-farm forage irrigation. A second difference is whether water use is reported as a volume of water or as an index of water-use impact (e.g., H2O equivalents). In addition, it is necessary to remember that freshwater availability is only one of the major environmental issues for the planet. There are 330 million acres of land used for agricultural purposes in the United States that produce an abundance of food and other products (2). Camels drinking from a trough in the an-Nafud Desert (Saudi Arabia). Agriculture (including irrigation, livestock and aquaculture) is by far the largest water consumer, accounting for 69% of annual water withdrawals globally. Early-maturity varieties may be sown to synchronize maximal growth with freshwater availability, but their yields are less than those of normal varieties. Vol. Most LCA approaches consider that green water is partially or entirely addressed by the impact indicator for land occupation (considering that soil water, like sunlight or oxygen, is an inherent property of land). All LCA approaches include blue water (e.g., irrigation), and the most recent (e.g., Ridoutt et al., 2011) focus on consumption of blue water leading to freshwater depletion, meaning that water ingested by livestock but returned to the same location (e.g., as urine) is excluded from the total water use. For this reason, land use (e.g., crops vs. pastures) is not a major determinant of water scarcity. In a recent global study, Mekonnen and Hoekstra (2012) show that animal products have a large water footprint (WF) relative to crop products. Water use in industries Apart from human consumption, the importance of water in the global economy is evident - from agriculture, to manufacturing and industry, to the energy industry. Climate Change 2007: Working Group I: The Physical Science Basis. Agriculture is the science and art of cultivating plants and livestock. Water is a precious resource that must be conserved globally by all sectors of the economy, including agriculture and thus livestock farming. M. W. In this article, we have focused on negative impacts of livestock on water reserves; however, livestock can also have neutral or positive influences on water resources. The most efficient practice may be to decrease irrigation of feeds grown in areas where rainfall is too low to avoid freshwater depletion, at least during certain periods of the year (Figure 5). The water footprint takes into account different types of water, including virtual water, but is limited to on-farm flows, whereas LCA is limited mainly to blue water but includes off-farm uses (e.g., “from cradle to farm gate”). That’s what often follows when people learn about the .) Since 2000, van den Borne and many of his fellow farmers have reduced dependence on water for key crops by as much as 90 percent. Increasing agricultural water use efficiency to meet future food production. Irrigation provides approximately 40% of the world’s food, from an estimated 20% of agricultural land, or about 300 million hectares globally. However, the present trend in food consumption is a rapid increase in animal products at the expense of crops in emerging and developing countries (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2009). Summary (Indianapolis, Indiana) 2020. For the 2018-19 reference period, there are two Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs. For example, grassland irrigation, a common practice in “wet” countries such as New Zealand and the Netherlands, can be a useful strategy for increasing grass production. Which Livestock Farming Practices Help Decrease Water Use? Global Water Outlook to 2025: Averting an Impending Crisis, A Report. Similarly, Ridoutt et al. This means that a change in green water use for rain-grown crops and forages has no impact on water scarcity. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. Agricultural water is used for irrigation, pesticide External and fertilizer applications External , crop cooling (for example, light irrigation), and frost control. Agriculture is a water-intensive practice, which is a concern for US regions that have increasing drought risk. When used to indicate the environmental impacts of such water use, however, the relevance of these methods is questionable. But this approach is sectorial and does not account for other criteria of livestock sustainability or land use for animal production. Update, Insights into the world's most important technology markets, Advertising & Media Outlook One third of this volume is for the beef cattle sector; another 19% for the dairy cattle sector. In arid areas, water may be sprayed on animals to improve animal performance, but this is a marginal practice. Improvements in livestock management, such as croplivestock integration with the use of crop by-products by livestock, have been proposed (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006; van Breugel et al., 2010). Book of Abstracts, 62nd Annu. While the shift to biofuels is generally welcomed, their production could demand as much water as fossil fuels. October 7, 2015 Economic Development Over one billion people worldwide work in agriculture generating $2.4 trillion for the global economy. Because of these differences and the fact that existing studies have analyzed only a limited number of different livestock production systems, methods give wildly different results for the same livestock product. What country uses the most water per capita? Among existing studies, water use per kilogram of beef ranges from 27 to 200,000 L (Peters et al., 2010; Wiedemann et al., 2010). Canada ranked fourth, reporting an annual water consumption of 1,017 cubic meters per capita. Does Livestock Production Contribute to Water Scarcity? This New York Times article on agricultural water use in California suggests that we’re shipping 100 billion gallons of water a year to China in the form of alfalfa. Thus, a definition of water scarcity that emphasizes the important role of water demand is, “the point at which the aggregate impact of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water... to the extent that the demand by all sectors, including the environment, cannot be satisfied fully” (UN-Water/FAO, 2007). In hot countries, the use of shelters reduces heat stress and leads to a decrease in water intake (Morand-Fehr and Doreau, 2001). , van der Werf H. M. G. Berger For example, estimations of water use to produce 1 kg of beef range from 3 to 540 L of H2O or H2O equivalents for the life cycle assessment approach and from 10,000 to 200,000 L of H2O for the water footprint. Res. Direct water intake by animals is composed of drinking water, water contained in feeds, and a small amount of metabolic water produced by nutrient metabolism. Soil erosion by water, wind and tillage affects both agriculture and the natural environment. Water can be divided into the following types: blue (i.e., surface and groundwater), green (i.e., soil water used in evapotranspiration), and gray (i.e., water necessary to dilute pollutants). On global landmasses, rainfall exceeds evapotranspiration by an average of 70%, whereas on the ocean, evaporation exceeds rainfall. M. Assoc. In contrast, because beef meat is the only product of a beef herd, the calculation of total water use of 1 kg of beef includes the water use by both bulls and steers, but also that of nursing cows. Worldwide, agriculture accounts for 70% of all water consumption. A third is whether water that returns to the same location (e.g., in urine) is considered to have been consumed. Nonetheless, the methods mentioned in this paragraph may decrease water intake by animals only slightly. Global water treatment and supply companies based on revenue 2018, Market value of leading water utilities companies worldwide 2020, Leading water utilities companies worldwide based on market cap 2020, Annual water withdrawals worldwide by region 2010, Global water withdrawal per capita by select country 2018, Global share of population with wastewater collection systems by region 2018, Water infrastructure repair market size worldwide 2020-2026, Global hydropower installed capacity 2014-2019, Global water withdrawal and consumption 2014-2040, Global water consumption by sector 2014-2040, Facebook: number of monthly active users worldwide 2008-2020, Smartphone market share worldwide by vendor 2009-2020, Number of apps available in leading app stores 2020, Country with the largest renewable water resources, Wastewater treatment's share of the global water industry market, Share of the global population with access to safely managed water, Global market share of water subsectors 2019, Global per capita renewable water resources by select country 2017, Global population with access to improved drinking water sources by region 2017, Share of global freshwater withdrawals by major water use sector 2010, Global key figures on wastewater generation 2020, Global wastewater treatment companies based on revenue 2018, Global water withdrawals by select country 2017, Global satisfaction with water and sewerage infrastructure by country 2019, Global per capita spending on water, sanitation, and hygiene by country 2019, Global operational desalination plants by sector use 2018, Worldwide added new hydropower capacity by region 2019, Largest hydropower producing countries 2019, Global energy consumption share in the water sector by use 2016, Global industrial wastewater treatment market value by region 2019-2024, Global industrial water demand by region 2010 & 2050. Worldwide, agriculture represents 70% of total blue water use and 86% of blue + green water use (World Water Assessment Programme, 2009), whereas livestock farming uses 15% of the evapotranspiration of irrigated crops, 33% of that of rain-grown crops, and 68% of that of permanent pastures and rangelands . There are several means to decrease water intake. The “water footprint” approach includes green water, whereas life cycle assessment approaches tend to exclude green water or to include only the variation in green water resulting from changes in land use. Thus, water intake per kilogram of meat decreases when age at slaughter, and thus total feed intake, decreases, such as for chicken or for beef produced from culled dairy cows rather than from young beef cattle. wastewater and sewage industry in the U.S. importance of water in the global economy. , animal use of water, and animal productivity directly accessible data for 170 industries 50... 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