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BOARD-INVITED REVIEW: Quantifying water use in ruminant production
Journal of Animal Science
|July 21, 2017
Summary
Water scarcity is a global issue, with ruminant livestock production facing scrutiny for its high water footprint. This review examines methods to quantify livestock water use and suggests strategies for reduction, focusing on feed production. Further research is needed for accurate sustainability assessments.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Environmental Science
- Water Resource Management
Background:
- Global water resource depletion necessitates evaluating water use in all sectors, including agriculture.
- Ruminant livestock production is under scrutiny for its significant water footprint per unit of product (meat, milk).
- Quantifying livestock water use has evolved from simple drinking water estimates to comprehensive assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and compare methodologies for quantifying water use in ruminant production systems.
- To present water use estimates for key ruminant products and discuss strategies for reduction.
- To identify methodological challenges and conceptual issues in current water footprint assessments.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing approaches: water footprint assessment, life cycle assessment, and livestock water productivity.
- Analysis of differences in target outcomes, geographic scope, water source categorization (green, blue, gray), and impact interpretation.
- Consideration of water use across the entire production chain, including feed production, animal rearing, processing, and packaging.
Main Results:
- Various methods exist to assess water use, each with distinct strengths and weaknesses regarding efficiency and environmental impact.
- Feed production constitutes the largest component of the water footprint in ruminant systems.
- Improvements in animal productivity and reproductive efficiency can reduce the per-unit water footprint.
Conclusions:
- Accurate estimation of water use across all production stages is crucial for identifying efficiency hotspots.
- Focusing R&D on feed production is key to reducing the overall water footprint of ruminant products.
- Further research is required to validate assumptions and understand trade-offs between water use and other sustainability indicators.
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