Why Does It Take So Much Water to Produce Beef?

Beef has one of the largest water footprints of any food. Producing just one kilogram of beef can require over 15,000 liters of water! But where does all this water actually go? Here’s a deeper look at why it takes so much water to produce everyone’s favorite red meat.

The Major Components of Beef’s Water Footprint

The water footprint of beef can be broken down into three main components:

Blue Water

This refers to surface and groundwater used for irrigation, drinking, cleaning, etc Blue water is withdrawn from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and aquifers – finite resources that are depleted through use Beef production consumes high amounts of blue water.

Green Water

This refers to rainfall consumed by the grass and crops that cattle eat. In countries where cattle are grass-fed, green water constitutes a large part of beef’s total water footprint. However, since green water cannot be repurposed, it has less of an environmental impact.

Grey Water

This refers to the freshwater needed to dilute pollutants from agricultural runoff and leaching. Cattle manure and fertilizers used to grow feed crops are major contributors to grey water.

Where Does the Water Go?

Here’s a breakdown of how water is used in beef production

• Feed production – The vast majority (around 98%) goes towards irrigating pastures and growing feed crops. This can be blue, green, or grey water.

• Drinking water – Cattle drink large volumes of water throughout their lives.

• Cleaning – Water is used to wash animals, equipment, and facilities on farms and in slaughterhouses.

• Processing – Water is used for hides, packaging, and processing beef products.

Feed Production Is the Main Culprit

Producing animal feed accounts for the lion’s share of water used for beef production. Let’s look closer at how this breaks down:

• Pasture irrigation – Beef cattle may spend 6 months or more grazing on irrigated grasslands, using high volumes of blue water.

• Feed crops – Crops like corn and soy irrigated with blue water are common in industrial farming. Alfalfa hay also has a large water footprint.

• Grain-finishing – Feedlots can use over 1,000 lbs of water-intensive grains to quickly fatten cattle before slaughter.

As you can see, the type of feeding system and the crops used greatly impact the amount of water needed. Beef produced in water-stressed regions using irrigated feeds generally has a much higher blue water footprint.

How Much Water for a Serving of Beef?

Researchers have calculated that producing just one 375g serving of beef in the UK requires:

• 33 liters of blue water – Mostly for raising and feeding the animal

• 700-1000 liters – Water used in the slaughterhouse

In comparison, foods like potatoes and rice have a much lower blue water footprint per serving.

However, the global average is much higher. In the U.S., one serving of beef produced in a feedlot system can require 1,800 gallons (6,800 liters) of blue water or more.

Why Grass-Fed Makes a Difference

Where and how cattle are raised greatly impacts the water footprint. grain-fed cattle in feedlots have a much higher blue water footprint. However, cattle raised exclusively on pasture require:

• Mostly green water from rainfall consumed by grasses.

• Lower amounts of finite blue water for drinking, cleaning, etc.

So choosing grass-fed beef, when possible, substantially reduces the amount of water depleted from rivers and aquifers.

Other Environmental Considerations

While water usage is important, other factors also contribute to beef’s environmental impact:

• Land use – Vast areas are needed for grazing and feed crop production

• Greenhouse gases – Cattle produce methane emissions and growing feed crops requires fertilizers.

• Pollution – Manure and fertilizers can contaminate waterways.

• Biodiversity loss – Habitat destruction to create new grazing land.

As you can see, beef production places a substantial burden on the planet in many ways. Reducing intake of conventionally raised beef can help lower your personal water and environmental footprint.

In the end, beef has an exceptionally high water footprint due to the massive volumes required to irrigate pastures and produce cattle feed. But switching to grass-fed sources and moderating intake can substantially reduce the amount of water needed to put beef on your plate. Along with other measures like reducing food waste, small changes in how we consume beef can add up to big water savings.