Food production must cut water use by a fifth
6 Jan 2015
The use of water in food production must be cut by 20% globally to avoid rocketing food prices and social unrest in the coming years, according to the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
It is urging coordinated action to reduce the amount of hidden water used in food and drink production, estimated at up to 1.8 million litres per person every year.
Currently, around 90% of all freshwater is used by agriculture (70%) and industry (20%), leaving just 10% for domestic use.
There are genuine risks of food shortages, rising food prices, droughts and social unrest for future generations
IChemE policy director Andy Furlong
However, as the population grows and more people move to a western-style diet, water extraction is estimated to increase by over 50% to 6,900 billion m3 per year.
By 2050, the overall impact will see around two thirds of the world’s population living in ‘water scarce’ areas, compared to just 7% at present.
“Population growth will have a direct impact on two of the building blocks for life – food and water,” said IChemE director of policy Andy Furlong.
“Estimates suggest that we will need to produce 60% more food by 2050. Agriculture will need around 19% more water to produce that extra food. It is clear that current production methods are unsustainable and there are genuine risks of food shortages, rising food prices, droughts and social unrest for future generations unless we make more efficient use of water.
“Chemical engineers are recommending that a global target is set to reduce the amount of water used in food production worldwide by 20%.”
He said solutions to the growing threat of water scarcity would require “political will, major investment and lifestyle changes” in addition to a combination of regulations and incentives to force industry to “monitor their water usage, as well as be rewarded for using alternative and sustainable water supplies”.
“Revised planning frameworks and investment will be needed for the construction of new capacity, infrastructure and appropriate technologies to improve efficiency of water management in food and drink production,” added Furlong.
“Education also has a role to ensure that consumers understand better how their food is produced to enable them to make informed choices. None of this will be cheap or easy, but like the mitigation of climate change, it will be necessary to guarantee our quality of life.”
A full analysis of the hidden water footprint in food and IChemE’s recommendationsare contained in a new policy report produced by IChemE called Water Management in the Food and Drink Industry.
