Believe it or not, about 1,400 gallons of water are used during the final production of one fast-food meal including a burger, fries, and a soft drink. Beef production is especially water intensive and here’s why: A cow lives for around 3 to 5 years before it is slaughtered to produce approximately 450 pounds of boneless beef (on an average). It is not uncommon for a chilled carcass to weigh 2 to 5% less than the hot carcass. 1 Total amount of beef used in the domestic market on a carcass weight basis. Each complex contains a feed mill, a hatchery, a processing plant, and chicken farms where the chicks are raised, usually in a 30-40 mi (48.3-64.4 km) radius from the processing plant. Most of this increase in production will come through industrialized animal production systems. For example, it takes 15,500 litres of water to produce 1 kg beef, contrasted with … Includes information on small producers. Meat production requires a much higher amount of water than vegetables. The amount of water required to create paper varies based on the size, material, and color of each piece. Water requirements vary with animal size and temperature. However, many grass-fed or grass-finished markets persist. Over time, the flavor develops, too. It takes a whopping 1,799 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.Yes, all that water for one pound of beef. Tea requires 107 litres of water to produce 1 litre of brewed tea. We compared our production emissions data for the main meat proteins to several mostly peer-reviewed or government-sponsored studies in the U.S. and … 2 Amount of the carcass estimated to cutout to retail cuts. Common responses include: “Really?” “That can’t be right.” “That’s ridiculous.” Shock is reasonable after discovering that the global average water footprint – or the total amount of water needed – to produce one pound of beef is 1,799 gallons of water; one pound of pork takes 576 gallons of water. These results suggest that eating fresh meat is less impactful to water-scarcity than most other food groups, even cereals. We utilize the entire animal, but not all for food; an example is hides for leather. Flow rates of 350 gal./animal have been reported for beef slaughtering plants. The amount of water used to produce a food may surprise you. However, beef production does impact upon plants, soil, air and water, and depletes resources such as fuel. Just 10-20 per cent of the water needed to produce 1 kg of meat is consumed. A lot of the water goes into feeding the livestock before they are turned into food. It examined the amount of water required to produce selected dairy, beef, poultry, grains, soy, fruit and vegetable products from the beginning of planting or growth cycle up to the time of cooking. Tea. Problems With Current Meat Production. According to the USGS, it takes nearly 2,000 gallons of water (9,000 liters) to produce just one pound of beef! That’s what often follows when people learn about the large water footprint of many meat products. A single glass requires 74 litres (130 pints of water) - more than a typical shower. Meat contributes to the global water crisis However, this isn't the whole story. Better yet try eggs, which take 395 gal./lb., or plant based protein. Water Usage. One third of this volume is for the beef cattle sector; another 19% for the dairy cattle sector. Melbourne’s two water treatment plants (the Eastern and Western Treatment Plants) produce just over 300 gigalitres of recycled water each year. Or to produce all 610 pounds of beef, 49 swimming pools worth of water or over one million gallons. It’s all about realizing how much water is needed to produce just 1 kilo of meat and why we should be cutting off some meat … Now, you could argue that the entire cow is required to produce the meat, but these other pieces are actually used in other industries. Lamb is a bit less greedy (over 2,700 gallons/10,400 liters), and poultry production takes 1100 gal (4,300 l) per kilo of meat. On average, about 283 litres of applied water are required to produce a kilogram of avocados. There are many varieties of Beefsteaks, including Big Beef, Mortgage Lifter and Brandywine. Let’s take the cheeseburger I had for lunch yesterday, for example. In their landmark book Population, Resources, Environment, Stanford Professors Paul R. and Anne H. Ehrlich stated that the amount of water used to produce one pound of meat ranges from 2,500 to as much as 6,000 gallons. Meat is a very “inefficient” food source. It served to raise awareness about just how much water it takes to produce food, not only in the US but across the globe. A: The consumption of red meat (beef and lamb) contributed only 3.7% of the total dietary water-scarcity footprint. To produce the diet of a typical meat-eater takes the equivalent of 5,000 litres of water per day - more than enough to water your garden and the gardens of all your neighbours as well. Pet food is a specialty food for domesticated animals that is formulated according to their nutritional needs. Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs. Agriculture uses about 70% of global fresh-water and future food production is vulnerable to increasing droughts and heatwaves, plus floods and other extreme events. It takes a lot of water to grow grain, forage, and roughage to feed a cow. Livestock production — which includes meat, milk and eggs — contributes 40% of global agricultural gross domestic product, provides income for more than 1.3 billion people and uses one-third of the world’s fresh water. The type of … The world’s freshwater is in short supply thanks in part to a ballooning global population that uses thousands of liters of water everyday to produce foodstuffs from oil and vegetables to meat, dairy and alcohol. And it requires 1,799 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. To put that into perspective, an average U.S. swimming pool contains 22,500 gallons of water. A swimming pool’s worth of water would produce 12 pounds of beef. That’s equivalent to the average emissions you’d see from 4.8 million cars in a given year. The same procedure is used to determine the CO2 emissions saved. But they can maybe help. By comparison, it takes a lot less water to grow the grains, beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables that make up a typical vegetarian diet. Meat production is projected to double by 2020 due to increased per capita global consumption of meat and population growth. Food production accounts for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and takes up half of the planet’s habitable surface.. A taste for meat has had a particular impact on land. The hide becomes leather, the bones, fat, intestines are all processed into other items like soap, pet food, fertilizer, and even used to produce pharmaceuticals. Understand that the amount of water, meaning diverted or collected water, depends on the region where the beasts are raised. In fact, it takes three times the water to produce beef than to produce chicken, and it requires two times more water than pork. Based on the process perspective, the processing areas, the meat, and the machines in the meat industry require water. Yet beef production requires a lot of land, water and energy, and generates considerable waste. An A4 size sheet of paper can use up to 8 gallons of water to produce. Here's how the numbers stack up according to researchers whose work is cited in the U.N.'s Livestock's Long Shadow: Table 1. In one beef slaughtering operation, water use dropped from 458 to 187 gal/head after water … For example, in India and the Philippines, an average of about 3000 liters of water is used to produce 1 kilo of rice! How your diet can help. Chlorine compounds are widely used in the food industry to kill bacteria and disinfect. The amount of water needed in this process depends where we are because climate and agricultural practices will be the most important players. Avocado production requires a lot of water to begin with, but in the dry regions of Chile, where most avocados for export are produced, avocado farming is especially water-intensive. Pound for pound, meat requires more water to produce than any other food group. Water is consumed throughout the production process, from growing the animal’s food and the drinking water animals drink, to the overall meat production process. A ¼ lb. hamburger requires 53 gallons of water to produce. This blog post has nothing to do with vegans or vegetarians. Behind that morning cup of coffee are 140 litres of water used to grow, produce, package and ship the beans. But on average, a 1250 pound (567 kg) beef steer only drinks about 10 gallons (about 38 litres) of water per day to support its normal metabolic function. In countries where there is a culture of heavy meat consumption, the advice is: one meat-free-day a week! When a label reads "water added;' a regulated amount of water, specific for each of many products, has been added to enhance the tenderness, juiciness and overall palatability of the product. A small soda requires 46 gallons of water to produce. (NOTE. Previous media articles have reported claims that it takes between 50,000 and 100,000 litres to produce a kilogram of red meat. It refers to the sum of the water use in the various steps of the production chain. A lot of the water goes into feeding the livestock before they are turned into food. The organisation adds that the entire meat sector (beef, poultry and pork) uses 80-90 per cent water resources that are part of the natural water cycle and these are returned to the environment, such as rain water. (United States Department of Agriculture) Economic Research Service. Raising beef cattle can be a profitable enterprise. For example, in the US beef production system, practices prevailing in 2007 are estimated to have involved 8.6 percent less fossil fuel use, 16 percent less greenhouse gas emissions, 12 percent less water use and 33 percent less land use, per unit mass of beef produced, than in 1977. Producing 453 grams (1 pound) of chicken takes 1,769 liters (467 gallons) of virtual water. Many times the importance of water to beef cattle is overlooked. (link is external) Kansas State University Libraries. In fact, agricultural withdrawals account for 69 percent of water use around the world. The research compares water use in 1981 and 2011 and found consumption is much … Just 6% of this water is currently used for agriculture, 10% for other uses and the remaining 84% is released out to sea. We need it to grow apples, as well as produce a packet of crisps. In addition to meat, burger production requires water–lots of it. and pork at 718 gal./lb. IME state that to produce 1kg of meat requires between 5,000 and 20,000 litres of water … According to Water Footprint Calculator, “ On average, the water footprint of a vegan or vegetarian is around half that of a meat eater.” Water use for broiler processing typically ranges from 3.5 to 10.0 gal./bird; for turkeys, 11 to 23 gal./bird. Foods like steak, hamburgers, and ground meat come from cattle, and raising cattle takes a huge amount of water. It is often said that 15,000L of water are needed to produce 1Kg of meat. [4] In reaction to growing water concerns, the University of California-Davis undertook an extremely close look at how much water is used when raising beef 2. To make one hamburger it takes 635 gallons of water. In comparison it has been calculated that a kilo of beef requires about 15,000 litres to be produced whereas a kilo of chicken meat has a water footprint of around 4,000 litres. One common mistake that consumers make in the kitchen is washing or rinsing their meat or poultry before cooking it. Curing is an age-old process of preserving meat for later use. Because it requires about a gallon of water to grow one almond. In the United States, it is estimated that it takes 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. Climate and Environmental Impacts. Diets are balanced for carbohydrate (energy), protein, vitamins, and minerals so cattle can achieve a desired level of performance; but cattle also have a requirement for water. To brew a gallon of tea, it takes 108 gallons of water. With just a few ingredients — salt, nitrites, and time — the meat transforms: from water-packed and pliable to dry and stiff. There may be no other single human activity that has a bigger impact on the planet than the raising of livestock. Water Usage. It takes 2,500 gallons of water, 12 pounds of grain, 35 pounds of topsoil and the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline to produce one pound of feedlot beef. The Beyond Meat burger uses 99 percent less water, 93 percent less land and 90 percent less fossil fuel emissions; the Impossible Burger uses 87 percent less water… Animal performance can be affected by water intake. Unlike the Pimentel study, UC Davis researchers considered regional context for ranchers. 4 Retail equivalent value of beef produced. With California's drought worsening, there has been a growing focus on the amount of water needed to produce certain foods. A 1200 pound cow produces a 750 pound carcass. However, there are several management skills that each beef producer should have to be successful. The frequency and intensity of droughts has increased in some regions (including the Mediterranean, the Middle East, parts of South America, much of Africa, and north- eastern Asia). If water used by the meat industry [in the United States] were not subsidized by taxpayers, common hamburger meat would cost $35 a pound. In comparison, pork takes 2,177 liters (575 gallons) and grain-fed beef takes 7,031 liters (1,858 gallons). Calculating Water Use For Beef To calculate the water it takes to grow a cow you need to see how much a cow drinks during its short life, how much water is used to clean the animal during production and after slaughter, and make a determination of how much water is used to grow the crops used to feed the cow. A question worth asking is how much water does it take to convert grass already grown to produce 1 litre of milk. Feed Conversion Ratios (FCRs) measure the amount of feed/crops needed to produce a unit of meat. Learn how you can save and treat your home or business' water with treatment systems from Harn RO. The annual amount of water used is compared with a shower, based on figures suggesting the average shower lasts eight minutes and uses up 65 litres. Corn commonly is used as a feed grain in beef cattle diets throughout the U.S. Only "blue water", i.e. A 1/3-pound burger requires 660 gallons of water. Animal agriculture puts a huge strain on our water resources and compromises our water security. Water use is measured in water volume consumed (evaporated) and/or polluted per unit of time. 4 gallons. About 300 gallons of water is needed to produce one loaf of bread, and it takes about 12,000 gallons of water to grow a bushel of wheat. Correct answer: About 460 gallons for 1/4 pound of beef, or about 1,750 liters per 113 grams Estimates vary a lot due to different conditions of raising cows.The number also varies depending on how far back in the production chain you go. The average for a vegetarian is 2 500 litres. 98% of meat and wool production; 96% of cropping; 70% of potatoes ... production management processes. Regionally, Asia is the largest meat producer, accounting for around 40-45 percent of total meat production. As it is chilled, water evaporation will cause the carcass weight to decrease. The 2400 number may have been true 30 to 40 years ago, but modern beef production has improved significantly over time as better husbandry practices have actually reduced water usage. 1. One of the most water-conscious automakers is PSA Peugeot Citroën. In the US to produce one pound (1 lb, 0.4kg) of steak requires, on average, 1,799 gallons of water – for pork it is 576 gallons of water and for a pound of chicken it is 468 gallons of water. Pet food generally consists of meat, meat byproducts, cereals, grain, vitamins, and minerals. To brew a gallon of coffee, 1,056 gallons of water are needed. In most meat products the moisture:protein ratio approximates 4.0, (i.e., the meat product contains four times as much moisture as protein) . The chart below shows the lifecycle total of greenhouse gas emissions for common protein foods and vegetables, expressed as kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 e) per kg of consumed product. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of fresh water used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. Many of the alternative meats, such as liver, intestine, etc., are consumed but not as much in the United States. The newest video in the Meat Mythcrusher series addresses one of the most commonly seen myths in the media: how much water it takes to produce a pound of beef.. Related: Mythcrusher Video Focuses on 'Meatless Monday' While one often cited statistic suggested it could take as much as 2,400 gallons of water, sustainability researcher Jude Capper, Ph.D., explains that the real data … In these regions, 320 litres of water are required to grow one avocado. Around one-third of the state’s entire water budget is used to produce meat and dairy. Taking into account all water from farm to fork, it takes 308 gallons of water for every pound of edible, consumed beef produced in the U.S. 66.2. Pacific Institute. Global meat production has increased rapidly over the past 50 years – as we see, total production has more than quadrupled since 1961. Beefsteak tomatoes are by far the most popular type of home garden tomato grown in North America. 12 gallons of water are used to produce a small serving of potato chips. "California's Water Footprint". The 2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef is calculated on a feedlot model. Just 10-20 per cent of the water needed to produce 1 kg of meat is consumed. Truth: It may seem outrageous that a single almond requires about 1 gallon of water to produce (a serving is 23 almonds) – but not when you consider that a single egg requires 53 gallons, a hamburger 660, and a gallon of dairy milk 880 gallons of water to produce (sources in graphic). Grass-fed Beef Markets and Terminology. This is 70 percent of the total disappearance. One slice of bread needs 10 gallons of water. They have a lower FCR, meaning that it takes less feed to create a pound of chicken than a pound of beef. In fact, of these nutrients, water is most critical. Fulton, Julian, et al. Comparing a diet containing meat, a pescatarian diet, and a vegetarian diet, the study found that for all 43,786 geographical entities analysed, a meat-free diet produces the smallest water footprint. Moreover, the large volumes of water used in agricultural production demonstrates is value as a crucial resource in livestock and poultry farming. During extrusion, proteins undergo thermal and mechanical stresses by heating of the barrel and shearing of the screws. The newest video in the Meat Mythcrusher series addresses one of the most commonly seen myths in the media: how much water it takes to produce a pound of beef.. Related: Mythcrusher Video Focuses on 'Meatless Monday' While one often cited statistic suggested it could take as much as 2,400 gallons of water, sustainability researcher Jude Capper, Ph.D., explains that the real data shows … It takes a whopping 1,799 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.Yes, all that water for one pound of beef. As a result, protein structure is altered leading to the formation of soluble and/or insoluble aggregates. 3 The value of a weighted average of an animal's retail meat cuts. Moving from a high meat diet to a vegetarian diet would save 1,230kg CO 2 e per year. The figure of 2,500 gallons to produce a pound of meat that I used in Diet For A New America comes from a statement by the renowned scientist Dr. Georg Borgstrom at the 1981 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in a presentation titled “Impacts On Demand For And Quality Of Land And Water.” Compared to a vegan diet, eating meat, dairy and eggs uses a lot of water! In fact, a single pound of beef requires a whopping 1,800 gallons of water. So by consuming these items, we use water indirectly, hence virtually. Water is needed to raise livestock, be it cows, chickens, horses, or rabbits. A 2,000 kcal high meat diet produces 2.5 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as a vegan diet, and twice as many as a vegetarian diet. December 2012. Meat production requires gigantic amounts of water It requires at least 15,500 liters of water to produce 1 kilo of beef. This so-called “water footprint” takes into account direct and indirect water use along the food supply chain. This water is supplied by nature as precipitation or added by people during the growing and production process. The amount of meat in our diet is crucial! Up to 70 % of the water we take from rivers and groundwater goes into irrigation, about 10% is used in domestic applications and 20% in industry.Currently, about 3600 km 3 of freshwater are withdrawn for human use. Here are the top three most thristy foods, in … This means that what we eat is more important than how much we eat in determining the amount of land required to produce our food. Approximately 95 percent of this water used in cattle production is for the irrigation of crops used for feeding cattle. (Image credit: Public domain) It simply takes too much water to grow a steak. Water use is measured in water volume consumed (evaporated) and/or polluted per unit of time. Beef production needs the most water - it requires over 4,000 gallons (15,000 liters) of water to produce 2.2 lbs (1 kg) of meat, making it the most water-intensive protein! Examines the structure, costs, and characteristics of beef cow-calf producers. 98% of meat and wool production; 96% of cropping; 70% of potatoes ... production management processes. The AHDB Beef and Sheep Roadmap estimated that in England, it takes over 17 thousand litres to produce a kilo of beef but only 0.4% of that is blue water. “Virtual” water is the total volume of fresh water used to produce a foodstuff or other good. On January 12, 2016, the USDA actually revoked the "USDA Grass-fed" label or claim (USDA, 2016); although, the USDA left the standards for the claim on their website for producers to follow. This article concludes with a great point that “ the water it takes to grow any vegetable, fruit or nut is a mere fraction of what is required to raise animal protein” and goes on to say “It takes more than 106 gallons of water, experts say, to produce one ounce of beef”, so just imagine how much water a whole herd of cattle would use! A static model of developed water use for U.S. cattle production was constructed on a spreadsheet. Water use for broiler processing typically ranges from 3.5 to 10.0 gal./bird; for turkeys, 11 to 23 gal./bird. The large numbers often cited also rely on averaged global data. It is thus essential to improve its sustainability globally. One egg needs 400 gallons of water. From steak to mangoes, here are some water-hogging foods - Los Angeles Times FCRs and related issues are generally discussed in terms of “efficiency.”. Most of the total volume of water (98%) refers to the water footprint of the feed for the animals. How Much Water Is Used To Make Cotton. Per pound produced – 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef (onegreenplanet.org) Per pound – It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce one pound of feedlot beef (earthsave.org) How Much Water It Takes To Make, Per Serving. In the infographic below you can see the truth that meat, dairy, wine, coffee and chocolate are some of the most water-intensive foods that we consume. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce just 1 pound of meat, but it takes just 25 … Virtual water content: The virtual-water content of a product (a commodity, good or service) is the volume of freshwater used to produce the product, measured at the place where the product was actually produced (production-site definition). 30 percent of the total land area of the world is used in pasture land and in the production of food for animals on a feedlot system. Food and agriculture are the largest consumers of water, requiring one hundred times more than we use for personal needs. Consequences of increased global meat consumption on the global environment -- trade in virtual water, energy & nutrients . High-moisture extrusion processing can be used to create plant-based meat and seafood textures. There are many ways beef production—when sustainably managed—can achieve conservation benefits. However, just estimating the amount of water used is only part of the story. Most of the Chinese seafood water footprints are composed of feed-associated water use. (Dr. Borgstrom, Drs. In total, meat production demands almost 2,300 trillion tons of water every year (that's 72 million liters a second!). Extrusion Technology. Global meat production doubled between 1980 and 2004 and it continues to mushroom as emerging economies develop a middle class that is hungry for beef. Beef seems to come out on top here, followed by pork and then chicken and chocolate. Derek Markham is a green living expert who started writing for Treehugger in 2012. Provides information on breeding, behavior, health, management, and equipment. How much water must a dairy cow drink to produce one gallon of milk? With these concerns in mind, Vanham and his colleagues assessed how much freshwater it takes to produce the foods people eat in three European countries. Estimates are that a 1/3 pound burger requires 660 gallons of water to be produced, most of which is for the beef. Studies carried out by researchers in Australia and overseas show that over 20 times more fresh water is required to produce animal products compared to the same weight of plant products. California’s recent multi-year extreme drought was hard on the state’s agricultural industry. How much water does it take to make…. Every little bit helps. Table 1 shows the total amount of beef, pork and chicken produced in the U.S. in 2009 as well as the pounds of concentrate (grain) used to produce the meat, assuming the previously mentioned feed conversion ratios. The L.A. Times just published an interactive graphic showing how much water it takes to produce some of the most widely eaten foods in the U.S. Meat Waste Is the Worst Waste. ie, how much does a cow drink, washing of equipment, washing of yards… processing in factory etc. A beef carcass is composed of 70 to 75% water. Today it takes 441 gallons of water to produce one pound of boneless beef. Environmental management in grazing beef production is therefore just as important to the future of the industry and its individual producers as is product … In the U.S. about 300 manufacturers produce more than 7 million tons of pet food each year, one of the largest categories of any packaged food. But pound-for-pound, there’s an order of magnitude more water needed to get meat and dairy to your plate. You need 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat—2,500 gallons to generate a pound of meat. Figure 37. Typical Water Consumption for Beef, Turkey, and Broiler Processing Animal type Water (gallon/animal) Beef 150-450 Turkey 11-23 Broiler 3.5-10 1 more rows ... Each beef cattle enterprise has different resources: land, labor, capital, feed and management.