Water & Agriculture
Hannah WiseKSC Dietetic Intern
March 14, 2016
ObjectivesLearners will be able to understand the positive and negative environmental
and economic effects of agriculture on United States water sources.
Learners will be able to distinguish between the difference between animal
vs plant agriculture impacts on water.
Learners will be able to understand how American culture influences water
diversion and use for plant and animal agriculture.
Self-disclosure
How thirsty are your favorite foods?
BEEF VS. CHICKEN
TOFU VS. LENTILS
WALNUTS VS. ALMONDS
COFFEE VS. TEA
BEER VS. WINE
THE FACTS
70%Of fresh water is used for agriculture globally
10 billion gallonsDaily U.S. agriculture use
THE BASICS
AGRICULTURAL WATERIrrigation vs. livestock
Diverted from:
Surface water
Rivers, streams
Open canals
Ground water
Rainwater
Helpful definitions● Water withdrawals: The quantity of water withdrawn from a source, such
as a river, aquifer, lake.
● Water consumption: The quantity of water actually consumed for the
crop.
● Aquifer: A body of saturated rock through which water can easily move.
● Water footprint: The amount of water you use in and around your home.
● Water table: The level below which the ground is saturated with water.
GROUND WATER VS. SURFACE WATER
IRRIGATION & AGRICULTUREIRRIGATION: The controlled application of water for agricultural purposes
through man made systems to supply water requirements not satisfied by
rainfall.
THEN● Labor intensive● Farming was focused
on substance● Highly weather
dependent● Inefficient
NOW● Machine intensive● Farming is focused
on selling the output● No longer controlled
by the weather● Efficient
vs
Types of irrigation: Surface irrigation
Types of irrigation: Drip irrigation
Types of irrigation: Center Pivot
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
PLANT VS ANIMAL AGRICULTURE
WATER CONSUMPTIONHalf of all the water used in the United States goes to raising animals for
food
1,800 gallons of water to produce 1 lb of beef
25 gallons of water to produce 1 lb of wheat
Daily water consumption:
Meat eater- 4,000 gallons
Lacto-ovo vegetarian- 1,200 gallons
Vegetarian- 300 gallons
WHY SO MUCH WATER?1. Feed Conversion Ratios (CFR)
Animal’s efficiency to turn its food into body mass (feed: meat ratio)
Beef= 7:1
Pork= 5:1
Poultry= 5:1
2. CAFOs- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation model
Immense scale- “Food animal” population of over 20 billion
Animal Consumption: FEEDLivestock directly uses
only 1.3% of the total
water used in
agriculture
The 7 billion livestock
animals in the United
States consume 5
times as much grain as
is consumed directly
by the entire American
population
WATER FOOTPRINT: NUTRITIONAL VALUECalories:
BEEF = 20x LARGER
Protein:
BEEF= 6X LARGER
Water consumed per gram of
PROTEIN:
Pulses: 5 gallons/gram
Eggs: 7.7 gallons/gram
Milk: 8.2 gallons/gram
Chicken: 9 gallons/gram
Beef: 29.6 gallons/gram
EXCREMENTAnimals raised for food
produce 130 times as
much excrement as
the entire human
population
Animal farms pollute
waterways more than
all other industrial
sources combined
ENVIRONMENTAL LOSSES
Depleting groundwater supplies
Pollution
Animal waste
Pesticides
Chemicals
Fertilizers
Hormones
Antibiotics
Dead zones
Water irrigation waste
GROUNDWATER DEPLETIONEnvironmental losses:
Lowering the water
table
Reduction of water in
streams and lakes
Land subsidence
WATER POLLUTIONStorage and disposal of animal
waste
Antibiotics and hormones
Fertilizer
Manure
Pesticides
Chemicals
Dead zones in coastal areas
Degradation of coral reefs
Contaminated drinking water
Uninhabitable by aquatic life
Agriculture = #1 cause of water
pollution
WATER POLLUTION: NITROGEN & PHOSPHORUSAnimal agriculture manure is the primary source of nitrogen and phosphorus
to surface and groundwater.
Eutrophication
Methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome)
2050 predictions-76% Nitrogen26% Phosporus
DEAD ZONES: Ocean areas with no oxygenCaused by massive growth
of algae blooms
Algae die, bacteria feed on
them and consume all
the water’s available
oxygen
Kills sea life
Causes millions of dollars
in damage
IRRIGATION WATER WASTEOnly 4% of US farms use drip or precision irrigation, which are more
efficient
Most irrigated farms use 2-3 times more water than their crops need
And waste between 50-80% of irrigation water through leaks, runoff, and evaporation.
ENVIRONMENTAL WINS
Increased awareness
Water saving techniques
Organic farming
ENVIRONMENTAL WINSIncreased water awareness
Water saving techniques
Increase in drip irrigation: 80% savings
Capturing and storing water
Irrigation scheduling
Drought-tolerant crops
Aquaponic systems: 90% savings
PBS podcast
GOING ORGANICRetain soil moisture
Compost increases water
capacity
Reduces water pollution
Preserve large bodies of water
● Retain soil moisture
● Compost increases water
capacity
● Reduces water pollution
● Preserve large bodies of water
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
WATER IS A “BULKY” RESOURCE
ECONOMIC LOSSES:Farmer’s
Land subsidence
Water treatments
Dead zones
ECONOMIC LOSSES: SMALL FARMSGroundwater depletion
Increase in water prices
Ex: Ogallala Aquifer,
Nebraska
Increased energy costs
Electrical costs
Increased cost of electricity
to pump surface water
for the production of
ECONOMIC LOSS: LAND SUBSIDENCE
ECONOMIC LOSS: WATER TREATMENTSFederally: $2.2
billion annually
State: Minnesota,
$4 per 1000
gallons
ECONOMIC LOSS: DEAD ZONESGulf of Mexico
$82 million lost a year in
tourism and seafood
Commercial fishing and shellfish:
10 billion
Tourism total: $1 billion annually
Real estate: -25%
ECONOMIC WIN: Consumer
Big Ag
Water-saving techniques
ECONOMIC WIN: BIG AG & CONSUMERSIncreased production
with decreased
labor
$1.2 trillion to the US
GDP
Supports 24 million
jobs
Cheap food
2024
ECONOMIC PREDICTIONSGlobally: middle class increase from 1.8 to 4.8 billion by 2030
= more meat consumption
= more energy
= more water intensive agriculture focusing on the raising of
livestock and feed grain
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
AVERAGE AMERICAN DIETAmerican’s consume an average of 198 pounds of meat per year (3x the global
average)
198 x 2,400 gallons per lb = 465,600 gallons a year
1,000 gallons of water per day to produce the average american diet More water than diet, home use, industry for the
average global home
HEALTH LOSSESAlgae blooms
Obesity
Disease
HEALTH LOSSES: OBESITY AND DISEASEAmerican diet increases the risk of: Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer
HEALTH LOSSES: ALGAE BLOOMSPhosphorus from farms
washes into creeks,
streams, rivers, and lakes
Phosphorus mixes with
algae and forms a toxin
called microcystin
Causes skin rashes, muscle
cramps, twitching,
nausea, vomiting
HEALTH WINSMore food
Affordability
Trend towards decrease in
meat consumption
HEALTH WINS: MORE FOODIncreased amount of food for a rapidly growing population
Able to feed more people for cheaper
Increase mobility of food
Decrease in meat consumption since 2012
Larger variety
Improved quality of life and living standards
DECREASE IN MEAT CONSUMPTION
CONCLUSIONS Environment
Losses:- Pollution
- Dead zones
- Waste
Wins:
- Increased
awareness
- Organic farming
Economics
Losses:
- Small farms
- Land subsidence
- Water treatments
Wins:
- Consumer
- Big Ag
Health
Losses:
- Disease & obesity
- Algae blooms
Wins:
- More food
- Affordability
- Decrease in meat
consumption
FUTURE PREDICTIONSGlobal population will grow from 7 billion to 9 billion
Global food production will need to increase- 70%
Water increase that will be needed for agriculture- 25%
The average water supply per person will drop by ⅓ in the next two
decades
Global meat trade is projected to rise by more than 50% over the
next 25 years
Largest future challenge: How can agriculture produce more with fewer resources and drastically reduce its
environmental impact?
REFERENCEShttp://www.seametrics.com/blog/farm-water-infographic/
EPA: https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/estimated-animal-agriculture-nitrogen-and-
phosphorus-manure
Onegreenplanet.org
ewg.org
Waterfootprint.org
http://www.sustainabletable.org/265/environment
http://assets.panda.org/img/original/waterusebysector.jpg
http://www.cuesa.org/article/10-ways-farmers-are-saving-water
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/aquaponic-farming-saves-water-can-feed-country/
Earth Policy Institute