Photo courtesy SIWI
Approximately 634 gallons, according to the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), a Sweden-based policy institute that contributes to international efforts to combat the world's escalating water crisis.
That is the amount of water needed to grow the cattle and produce and deliver the hamburger. This water, unseen when the hamburger is consumed, was named “virtual water” in 1993, by Professor John Anthony Allan of King's College in London.
Allan, 71, was awarded the 2008 Stockholm Water Prize for the concept, which measures how water is embedded in the production and trade of food and consumer products, this week by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at a ceremony and Royal Banquet in the Stockholm City Hall. The ceremony was held in conjunction with World Water Week which wrapped up today in Sweden.
According to SIWI, "virtual water has major impacts on global trade policy and research, especially in water-scarce regions, and has redefined discourse in water policy and management."
"Water is embedded in the production of everything that we eat, use, and do." The water to grow, produce, package and ship the beans for a cup of coffee is equivalent to the amount of water used by an average person daily in England for drinking and household needs. "Per capita, Americans consume around 6,800 litres of virtual water every day, over triple that of a Chinese person."
According to the Virtual Water entry at Wikipedia, the production costs, in water, of a few of the commodities typically found in restaurant meals are:
– 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of wheat costs 1,300 L (343.4 gallons) water
– 1 kg of broken rice costs 3,400 L water (898 gallons)
– 1 kg of eggs costs 3,300 L water (872 gallons)
– 1 kg beef costs 15,000 L water (3,962.6 gallons)
BusinessWeek, reporting from World Water Week, said experts at the conference also said, in order to meet the food and water needs of the world’s growing population, food waste must be cut in half by the year 2050
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Comments
It's not so much how much water it takes to produce a hamburger, but did the cow animal say Ouch when it got butchered. Wait until it's the human turn when it gets all carved UP.
consume, so the cow's pain is more important than the resources it takes to keep it and us alive?
go talk to some foragers in alaska, the amazon, west africa, desert australia, tell them about animals' pain.
environmental veg > cute cute veg
So jut because it can't talk, it can't feel pain?
A cow is just as able to feel pain as humans. Just because they cannot express that in words doesn't mean the pain isn't there
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