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What is the correlation between animal agriculture and water usage?

Benard Scupham

There is an undeniable correlation between animal agriculture and water usage. In fact, the meat and dairy industry is one of the biggest culprits of water consumption worldwide.

Let's break it down. First, we need to consider the amount of water it takes to produce feed for livestock. The vast majority of crops grown for animal feed require irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides, all of which consume large amounts of water. In addition, the high demand for feed crops such as soybeans and corn has led to a rise in monoculture farming, which further exacerbates water scarcity issues.

Once the feed crops are grown, they need to be transported to the animals, which again requires energy and water. This also means that water is being used to process and package these feeds for transport.

Then, the animals themselves consume large quantities of water. For example, a single dairy cow requires up to 50 gallons of water per day just for drinking, while it takes 1,000 gallons of water to produce just one gallon of milk. The water usage can be even higher for livestock raised in feedlots, where water is used for cleaning and cooling purposes.

But it doesn't stop there. The processing and packaging of meat and dairy products also requires significant amounts of water. Consider the washing, cleaning, and sterilizing needed to maintain hygiene standards during the slaughtering and processing of animals.

All of this adds up to an enormous amount of water usage. In fact, estimates suggest that animal agriculture accounts for around 30% of the world's total water consumption. This is particularly problematic in areas where water is already scarce, such as many parts of Africa and India.

So what can be done? Of course, the most effective solution would be to significantly reduce our consumption of meat and dairy products. This would not only reduce water usage, but also the environmental damage caused by the meat and dairy industry.

In addition, we need to support farming methods that prioritize sustainable water usage. This might include more efficient irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting, and crop rotation. We can also reduce water usage in the processing and packaging of meat and dairy products through more efficient technologies and practices.

At the end of the day, the correlation between animal agriculture and water usage is clear. It's up to us to take action to reduce the impact of this industry on our precious water resources.