Water

In the UK, we use the equivalent of 58 bathtubs full of water every day. Most of this goes into making the food we eat and the clothes we wear, rather than coming out the tap. Only 38% of all the water we use originates here.

Around 70% of all abstracted freshwater is used in agriculture. But it’s not just about the amount we use. Where it’s from and how it’s used is also important.

Agriculture accounts for around 24% of all water used across the EU, but that rises to 80% in water stressed areas.

The issues are complex. Growing tomatoes outside in southern Spain rather than heated greenhouses generates less CO2, but tomatoes are thirsty, and southern Spain is extremely short of water.

Although vegetarian food is on average half as thirsty as meat, crops like rice are heavier water users than grain.

Water scarcity and efforts to address it affect the economic and social welfare of a region, and the ecological consequences can include desiccation and poor water quality, destroying species and ecosystems.

Priorities

• We cannot keep using water at current rates. The simplest fix is to use water more efficiently, but this can't tackle all the issues.
• Food could be labelled to reveal how well food companies are using their water.
• Government water policies must guarantee basic entitlements and universal access, and support priority uses.
• Business should support sustainable water stewardship along their supply chains, and move to more sustainable production models without abandoning water stressed areas.