A large irrigation system waters a vibrant green cornfield under a clear sky, stretching across the horizon. The metal structure sprays a fine mist, depicting efficient agricultural practices. Trees are faintly visible in the background.
Photo by Lumin Osity on Unsplash

Water use

Environment

Sources

[1] UNESCO, UN-Water (2020): United Nations World Water Development Report 2020:Water and Climate Change, Paris, UNESCO.
[2] FAO (2019): Water use in livestock production systems and supply chains – Guidelines for assessment (Version 1). Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership. Rome.
[3] United Nations (2024) The United Nations World Water Development Report 2024: Water for Prosperity and Peace. UNESCO, Paris.
[4] Springmann, M. (2024): A multicriteria analysis of meat and milk alternatives from nutritional, health, environmental, and cost perspectives. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121(50), e2319010121. Doi:10.1073/pnas.2319010121.
[5] Poore, J. & T. Nemecek (2018): Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science 360(6392), 987–992. doi:10.1126/science.aaq0216
[6] Mekonnen, M. M. & A. Y. Hoekstra (2011): The green, blue and grey water footprint of crops and derived crop products. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 15(5), 1577–1600. doi:10.5194/hess-15-1577-2011
[7] Mekonnen, M. M. & A. Y. Hoekstra (2012): A Global Assessment of the Water Footprint of Farm Animal Products. Ecosystems 15(3), 401–415. doi:10.1007/s10021-011-9517-8
[8] Harris, F., C. Moss, E. J. M. Joy, et al. (2019): The Water Footprint of Diets: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition doi:10.1093/advances/nmz091
[9] Vanham, D., S. Comero, B. M. Gawlik, et al. (2018): The water footprint of different diets within European sub-national geographical entities. Nature Sustainability 1(9), 518–525. doi:10.1038/s41893-018-0133-x
[10] Scarborough, P., M. Clark, L. Cobiac, et al. (2023): Vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters in the UK show discrepant environmental impacts. Nature Food doi:10.1038/s43016-023-00795-w

Further literature

  • Vanham, D., M. M. Mekonnen & A. Y. Hoekstra (2013): The water footprint of the EU for different diets. Ecological Indicators 32 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.02.029
  • Jalava, M., M. Kummu, M. Porkka, et al. (2014): Diet change—a solution to reduce water use? Environmental Research Letters 9(7), doi:10.1088/1748-9326/9/7/074016
  • Vanham, D. & G. Bidoglio (2014): The water footprint of agricultural products in European river basins. Environmental Research Letters 9(6), 064007. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/9/6/064007
  • Vanham, D., T. N. Mak & B. M. Gawlik (2016): Urban food consumption and associated water resources: The example of Dutch cities. Science of The Total Environment 565 232–239. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.172
  • Vanham, D., S. del Pozo, A. G. Pekcan, et al. (2016): Water consumption related to different diets in Mediterranean cities. Science of The Total Environment 573 96–105. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.111
  • Rosi, A., P. Mena, N. Pellegrini, et al. (2017): Environmental impact of omnivorous, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, and vegan diet. Scientific Reports 7(1), 6105. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06466-8
  • Mekonnen, M. M. & J. Fulton (2018): The effect of diet changes and food loss reduction in reducing the water footprint of an average American. Water International 43(6), 860–870. doi:10.1080/02508060.2018.1515571
  • Blackstone, N. T., N. H. El-Abbadi, M. S. McCabe, et al. (2018): Linking sustainability to the healthy eating patterns of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: a modelling study. The Lancet Planetary Health 2(8), e344–e352. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30167-0
  • Vanham, D., S. Comero, B. M. Gawlik, et al. (2018): The water footprint of different diets within European sub-national geographical entities. Nature Sustainability 1(9), 518–525. doi:10.1038/s41893-018-0133-x
  • Chen, C., A. Chaudhary & A. Mathys (2019): Dietary Change Scenarios and Implications for Environmental, Nutrition, Human Health and Economic Dimensions of Food Sustainability. Nutrients 11(4), 856. doi:10.3390/nu11040856
  • Harris, F., C. Moss, E. J. M. Joy, et al. (2020): The Water Footprint of Diets: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition 11(2), 375–386. doi:10.1093/advances/nmz091
  • Tompa, O., Z. Lakner, J. Oláh, et al. (2020): Is the Sustainable Choice a Healthy Choice?—Water Footprint Consequence of Changing Dietary Patterns. Nutrients 12(9), 2578. doi:10.3390/nu12092578
  • Vanham, D., S. Guenther, M. Ros-Baró, et al. (2021): Which diet has the lower water footprint in Mediterranean countries? Resources, Conservation and Recycling 171 105631. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105649
  • Kassem, R., M. R. Jepsen & S. P. Salhofer (2021): The water consumption of different diets in Denmark. Journal of Cleaner Production 286 124938. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124938
  • Arrieta, E. M., C. G. Fischer, S. Aguiar, et al. (2022): The health, environmental, and economic dimensions of future dietary transitions in Argentina. Sustainability Science doi:10.1007/s11625-021-01087-7 doi:10.1007/s11625-021-01087-7
  • Frola, E. N., A. Cavaliere, E. De Marchi, et al. (2024): Water scarcity and consumer behavior: an analysis of diet-related water footprint. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 39 e24. doi:10.1017/S1742170524000140



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