The water in your food

When you last went to the shop did your water footprint cross your mind?

It’s not surprising if it didn’t. There isn’t currently an indicator on a product that tells you what to buy based on the water content of a product. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a problem. Water access is increasingly seen as a risk factor for business operations and lots of work takes place behind the scenes to address this issue. An increasing number of corporations are starting to investigate the water footprint of their entire production process.

Looking solely at the footprint however doesn’t take the whole story into account. If a tomato is grown where water is abundant, it could be less relevant if it uses a lot of water than when grown in a dry area. In such a case water might be diverted away from other users, no matter how efficient the usage is. This is particularly relevant in poor countries where water regulation can be weak and poor communities often have little influence on local politics.

For example most asparagus are imported into the UK from a desert area in Peru. Constant sun and lack of rain mean that asparagus can be grown year round, with the help of sophisticated groundwater drip irrigation systems. Supported by international investment, the asparagus industry has exploded in the last ten years, bringing increased scrutiny of the production processes in terms of a number of different standards and certification schemes with regard to the international market.

Yet, as a recent report by Progressio reveals, the aquifer is draining at an alarming rate, threatening the viability of the whole area. Local communities’ access to drinking water is highly restricted; many with access for only a few hours a day or per week. Small and medium scale farmers are struggling to afford digging deeper wells, relying on water diverted from the Andean mountains above. Some of the poorest people in Peru inhabit these mountains, mostly alpaca herders. They say that the diversion of water is damaging their eco system, making alpaca farming increasingly difficult. To add to their burden, the impact of climate change is already adding to their vulnerability.

So, what is the answer? Stronger regulation and closer involvement of poor communities to ensure everyone’s viewpoint is properly represented is part of the solution. As buyers of asparagus or other products with a high water impact, consumers also have a role and responsibility. Certification and other standards have increased transparency and now the same thing needs to happen with water.

The Alliance for Water Stewardship seeks to develop global water standards. These will serve to provide guidance for managing and using water in a way that enables social and economic development while ensuring environmental sustainability, complemented with a certification process. This effort needs to be supported and many key stakeholders are already onboard.  

It’s not easy, but it is essential. Without a clear direction on what the water related impact of different products is, consumers won’t be able to make informed decisions. More importantly, poor communities around the world continue to risk seeing their precious water resources diverted away, all for the pleasure of our consumption.  

Petra Kjell - is the Environment Policy and Advocacy Officer at Progressio. She holds a BSc in Social Science from University of Stockholm, and an MSc in Development Studies from SOAS, University of London. Much of her current work is focused on water from a poverty perspective, where one strand of her work is on water and climate change and the other strand on virtual water and water footprints. She also co-Chair's Bond's UK Water Network, which links UK International NGOs working on freshwater related issues.

Progressio is an international charity that enables poor communities to solve their own problems through support from skilled workers, and lobbies decision-makers to change policies that keep people poor. See www.progressio.org.uk for further info.

The content of this guest blog represents the view of the author and is not necessarily reflective of the views of Fairfood International.