The document provides an overview of water use throughout the livestock value chain, highlighting the impact of water scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions related to livestock production. It discusses risks, uncertainties, and drivers of change in the livestock sector while emphasizing the importance of recycling and regional meat consumption patterns. The authors call for further research to address gaps and improve linkages between different sectors involved.

1. Water use throughout the
livestock value chain
FAO-IFAD
Karen Frenken, Marisha Shibuya,
Rudolph Cleveringa, Melvyn Kay
IFAD, IADG Meeting, Livestock Week, May 3rd, 2010

2. Overview of WLVC
• Background: WWDR and awareness
raising
• Rationale for WLVC: Coverage of
livestock, Water scarcity and GHG (CO2,
NOx, CH4)
• Model of Quadrants
• Open questions for research

3. Background
• WWDR: Risks and Uncertainties
• Drivers: population change, urban/rural
distribution, lifestyle choices, climate
change
• Awareness: when to do what, where and
how for whom

4. Regional meat consumption

5. Where are the poor livestock raisers
(Thornton et al, 2002)

6. Rationale
• WWDR III, Comprehensive Assessment
and Long Shadow: open issues
• New FAO study: GHG from the Dairy
Sector
• New US Dairy Study (forthcoming)
Integral life cycle view emerging
Water community still dispersed by sectors

7. (From: Ceres, 2009)

8. Water-related risk and uncertainty
Water along the livestock value chain
Risks & Uncertainties from Livestock Value Chain
Risks & Uncertainties to Livestock Value Chain
Drivers of Change
Climate, economics,
demographics, etc.
Recycling Production
Impact
•Water Quantity Acidification,
(scarcity, floods) eutrophication,
•Water Quality water-use, etc.
Consumption Transformation
•Allocation Conflicts
Water Use/Consumption
.

9. Water use in production
Global net evapotranspiration for agriculture 7,137 km3
Blue water 22% Irrigated pasture/feed 17%
Irrigated crops 83%
Rainfed crops 47%
Green water 78% Rainfed pasture 53%

10. Water Consumption at the
Slaughterhouse
Data from Danish & Norwegian slaughterhouses
Water COD Nitrogen Phosphorus Suspended
Per tonne of consumption Wastewater BOD emission emission emission emission solids
carcase (l) (l) (kg) (kg) (g) (g) emission
(g)
Cattle 1623-9000 1623-9000 1.8-28 4-40 172-1840 24.8-260 11.2-15.9
Pig 1600-8300 1600-6000 2.14-10 3.22-10 180-2100 20-233 0.12-5.1
Sheep 5556-8333 5556-8333 8.89 1556 500
Poultry 5070-67400 5070-67400 2.43-43 4-41 560-4652 26.2-700 48-700
Source: European Commission (May 2005), Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control: Reference Document on Best Available
Techniques in the Slaughterhouses and Animal By-products Industries, viewed 30 April 2010 at
ftp://ftp.jrc.es/pub/eippcb/doc/sa_bref_0505.pdf

11. UK Food Waste at the
Consumer Stage
8.3 million tonnes per year of food and drink waste in UK households
(2/3 avoidable, edible foods)
Source: WRAP (2009) Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK, p.6

12. Water for livestock
Water along the livestock value chain
Recycling Production
Consumption Transformation

13. Feedback required
• What are the main gaps in the “model”?
• Where are the data by context, timeline
and quadrants?
• Where are the linkages in research with
consumer organizations, environment and
private sector?
• R.cleveringa@ifad.org
karen.frenken@fao.org

14. Thank you
Karen Frenken, Marisha Shibuya, Rudolph Cleveringa, Melvyn Kay