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Roughly 70% of the surface and ground water used globally is for agriculture 95 ,
with as much as 90% of water dedicated to agriculture in developing countries
96 . Many of the world’s croplands are in semi-arid areas that are expected
to become even drier due to climate change.
Roughly 70% of the
surface and ground
water used globally is
for agriculture.
A significant risk for the sector is the high water demand for irrigation, which
is expected to be aggravated by growing competition from urbanisation, industrialisation,
and climate change impacts. The latter is likely to affect water
supply and agriculture through changes in the seasonal timing of rainfall
and snow-pack melt, as well as higher incidence and severity of floods and
droughts 97 .
Between 15–35% of water use by agriculture is estimated to be unsustainable;
additionally, agriculture wastes 60% of the water it uses each year 98 . Agriculture
is the main cause of water pollution in many countries due to the discharge
of pollutants and sediment to the surface and/or groundwater, net loss
of soil by poor agricultural practices, and salinisation and waterlogging of irrigated
land 99 . At the same time, the sector is dependent on good quality water
resources in order to avoid contamination of crops.
Water risks related to agricultural production are comparatively low for commodities
produced in Germany as the country has abundant water resources and
relatively well-developed water resource management systems in place. However,
German manufacturers and retailers could face significant water-related risks
along their supply chains if agricultural raw materials are imported from regions
experiencing water problems. Prominent examples are the food and beverage
sectors that are heavily dependent on water for production of their input and final
good, either as a direct ingredient or to process raw materials.
Global average water footprints of agricultural goods H :
Tomato: 200 l/kg
Oranges: 560 l/kg
Rice: 2,500 l/kg
Beef: 15,400 l/kg
Coffee: 15,900 l/kg
*Please see Side Note 2 for further information about the water footprint.
H
www.waterfootprint.org
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