Reducing The EU’s Water Use Through Meat Reduction
Advocates have long drawn attention to the many negative impacts meat production has on the environment. Recent research has overwhelmingly backed up these claims by highlighting the sharp differences in both resource use and pollution associated with omnivorous vs veg*n diets, from water use to greenhouse gas emissions. This study, published in Environment International, provides yet further evidence for this claim. The study authors assessed the water footprint for three diets in the North, South, East, and West regions of the European Union (EU): the current diet in a region, regionally recommended healthy diets, and a vegetarian diet. Specifically, they examined the water footprint of consumption (WFcons), a measure of the domestic and foreign water resources behind all goods and services consumed, within each region.
The authors calculated WFcons by multiplying all agricultural products consumed in a nation by their respective water footprint. They sourced consumption data from Food and Agricultural Organization Food Balance sheets and water footprint data from the Water Footprint Network’s Global Water Footprint Standard. Recommended healthy diets varied by region. The German nutrition society’s suggested diet for the East and West regions as well as the Mediterranean diet in the South call for significant reductions in meat and increases in fruits and vegetables. The Nordic diet in the North recommends increases in fruits and vegetables but does not recommend a decrease in meat. In calculations for the vegetarian diets, all meat was substituted with pulses, nuts, and oil crops in an amount equal in caloric value and protein content as meat.
Results showed significant differences in WFcons between EU regions as well as diet types based on both food consumption behavior and environmental conditions. For current diets, the South had the highest WFcons at 5,875 liters per capita per day (lcd), which can be attributed to higher intakes of meat and a drier and hotter climate. The East had the next highest intake at 4,053 lcd. This region produces lower yields of crops and, therefore, uses water less efficiently. The West had a footprint of 3,761 lcd, which was slightly higher than the North at 3,197 lcd, because meat consumption is higher in the West.
Not surprisingly, the authors found that for all zones WFcons decreased for healthy and vegetarian diets, with the largest decreases for the vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diets were found to reduce WFcons by 41% in the South, 41% in the West, 32% in the North, and 27% in the East. Healthy diets were found to reduce WFcons by 30% in the South, 27% in the East, 26% in the West, and 3% in the North. Vegetarian diets were also found to significantly reduce WFcons for specific types of water resources, including green water (soil water formed by precipitation) and blue water (liquid water in rivers, lakes, and aquifers). Additionally, when the authors factored in the water footprint of production (domestic water resources used for all goods consumed domestically as well as exported) compared to WFcons, they found that all regions except the East are currently characterized as net virtual water importers. However, all regions would be characterized as net virtual water exporters under the vegetarian diet.
In summarizing their findings, the authors state simply that “a lot of water can be saved by EU citizens by a change in their diet.” They point out that decreasing meat consumption would significantly reduce WFcons and “contribute to sustainable water management both within the EU and outside its borders.” They conclude by emphasizing the need to preserve finite resources like global land and water by adapting production practices that rely on these resources as well as reducing our consumption overall.