The international average water use for beef can be broken down into one equation: generally, 15,500 litres of water is needed to produce one kilogram of meat, according to a report from Carni Sostenibili.
These factors take into account things like the water needed to grow the crops required to feed cows, as well as water needed to purify waste and water to keep cattle hydrated. The usage of all of this is known as a water footprint – in much the same way carbon emissions have come to be known as a carbon footprint.
According to Carni Sostenibili – which loosely translates from Italian as ‘sustainable meat’ – beef production in Italy has a water footprint that is around 25% below the international average. In total, it takes 11,500 litres of water to produce 1kg of meat in Italy and the body responsible for sustainable meat in Italy is pleased with the study.
“With regards to the environmental impact of livestock production some clarification is appropriate, because often one reads misleading data that can confuse the consumer,” said Ettore Capri, a professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, which helped produce the study.
“The amount of water employed in the production of meat, which also includes the data relating to the agricultural crops made to produce animal feed, is in fact constituted for the most part by ‘green’ water – like rainwater – a renewable source and among the most sustainable. The water effectively consumed to produce meat is therefore reduced to considerably smaller amounts than the overall figure. Furthermore, the use of advanced technology in water management and a correct use during agricultural production, contributes to make Italian beef more sustainable.”
Carni Sostenibili is a meat body that was established by three of Italy’s meat businesses – Assocarni, Assica and Unaitalia.