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Water shortages and food waste

September 29, 2021
Blog
water shortages and food waste

Today, droughts and water shortages are increasingly common. Climate change and the weather conditions it causes are significantly drying out our soils. Food production also plays a major role in the use of this precious resource, as we explain below. 

 

What is a water shortage?

We speak of a shortage when the demand for water is greater than the availability in a region or country , and does not only concern domestic use but includes all sectors combined.

Today, underground reserves are sufficient to meet global demand, but their distribution is uneven. Water scarcity affects 700 million people across 43 countries worldwide. But by 2025, it will affect nearly 1.8 billion people, and almost 5.2 billion people (nearly two-thirds of the world's population) will be experiencing water stress.

The causes of the water shortage

Natural causes

Water shortages can be caused by natural factors: 

  • An absence of groundwater or watercourses in a region, 
  • Years of low rainfall. 

Human-caused factors

But this water shortage can also be caused by human activities. These include:
  • The significant development of hydraulic infrastructure 
  • The development of infrastructure linked to improving living standards
  • use of water
  •  The expansion of irrigated areas
  • Deforestation or intensive agriculture
  • Pollution and global warming
It also stems from the limited economic resources of a country or region to install adequate infrastructure for water collection and distribution

Increased water consumption and unsustainable management

Among the causes mentioned previously, three main sectors rely on significant water consumption:

Domestic use accounts for only 10% of global freshwater resource use. Industrial use accounts for 20% and agriculture for 70%, with 90% of this water being non-renewable .

Moreover, according to the FAO, global water demand is expected to increase by 50% by 2050. This is due to population growth (and therefore increased food consumption), improved living standards, and climate change.

Food and its water footprint

What is a water footprint (or water footprint)?

The water footprint, or water footprint, is the total amount of water used to produce a good or service. This includes the water we use or waste directly or indirectly, often without realizing it. Several methods exist for calculating this footprint, but the most widely used remains that of the Water Footprint Network .

 Agriculture and livestock farming make up the most important factor related to water consumption in the world, due to the irrigation of crops, the watering of animals from birth and the irrigation of crops intended to feed these animals.

As a result, the foods we consume can have a high water footprint (or water footprint) depending on their type.

For example, 15,415 liters of water would be needed to produce 1kg of meat. 

The same applies to chocolate, which, even though it is a product of plant origin, would require 17,196 liters of water per kg.

 

The water footprint of food and water scarcity
 

However, it is important to keep in mind that this food footprint varies from country to country and from one production method to another. 

The impact of food waste on water scarcity

The restaurant industry represents only a small percentage of the production chain, but food waste is no less significant. In France, it averages between 15 and 20 tons per year per restaurant, according to ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition). Food waste has economic and environmental consequences, including carbon footprint and energy consumption, but water footprint remains largely overlooked. Wasting food today is tantamount to wasting water, contributing to the growing water scarcity. While good practices may seem insignificant compared to water consumption in agriculture, they are ethically essential. Adopting best practices to combat food waste in the restaurant industry is a way to fight water waste.

Finally, to curb the worsening situation and reduce water consumption in agriculture, adopting more efficient irrigation techniques and growing less water-intensive foods were the best solutions considered at the 8th World Water Forum.

Sources: FAO , World Health Organization , un.org , ademe.fr , cieau.com , waterfootprint.org , Youmatter.world , latribune.fr.

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