Food and drink: A close link
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Producing 1 cup of coffee takes 140 litres of water and 1 kg of beef 15,000 litres of water. Our water needs are much bigger than what we usually assume. We all know we have been facing a water crisis. And, we are only making it worse with our food habits.
Over 70 per cent of the freshwater withdrawal goes into irrigation, in producing what we consume. Therefore, lack of water does not just mean thirst; it also means hunger. Water availability is directly and closely linked to food security. The people who have better access to water tend to have lower levels of undernourishment.
The United Nations recently announced that the Millennium Development Goal target for drinking water has been met and this is one of the first MDG target to have been met.
But, this is not enough. Do we have enough water to produce food required to sustain the 9 billion expected population by 2050? The demand for food is expected to double in developing countries by 2050.
With the global demand for food evolving at a rapid pace, we face a big threat of food scarcity.
Do you know how much water you actually consume every day? If you are considering just the 2-4 litres of water that you drink, you are forgetting the huge amount of water that is required to produce everything that you consume. Your water footprint is all your direct and indirect water use.
Therefore, changing your diet can reduce your water footprint and save freshwater.
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