This post continues to build on our previous titled LA Residential Water Use. In addition to tremendous urban residential consumer use, agricultural irrigation is the other primary type of water use in California. The state ranks first in the nation for dairy production representing 17.6 percent of the total. Most of that going toward butter and cheese production. Agriculture is one of the largest segments of the California economy. The state grows half of all U.S. fruits, nuts, and vegetables. All food requires water to be produced - called embodied water. Some of the thirstiest food types are beef, cheese, chicken, chocolate, nuts, olives, pork, and rice. According to a study done by professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra for the Twente Water Centre at University of Twente in the Netherlands, beef requires 15,500 liters of water to produce 1kg of boneless meat. That’s 4,000 gallons for 2 pounds of beef. Think of that the next time you throw a few steaks on the back yard grill.
Most California farming occurs in the central valley. Historically, the primary water source for irrigation has been wells that tap into the Central Valley Aquifer - estimated to be the nation’s second largest in water volume. That aquifer is recharged by runoff from the Sierra mountain range. Monthly readings by the state have identified a troubling issue where estimated water content in that mountain range has been on the decline and may have less than half the water of previous years. Industrialized agriculture practices were already withdrawing water from the aquifer at a rate faster than it can recharge through natural processes, but reduced mountain runoff means the aquifer is being drained at an accelerated rate. Four of the state’s five largest reservoirs are in an area with the most severe reduction in mountain snow pack. All five of the state’s largest reservoirs have water levels well below historical averages.
Limited supply throughout the state means that urban areas, such as Los Angeles, will now compete with farmers for the same water. It’s easy to be complacent and miss the interconnectedness of all these water issues, but nothing happens in isolation. Seemingly disconnected, small, inconsequential water use decisions made at our homes are now intimately linked to agriculture. Agriculture jobs are being lost due to failing farms. According to the state statistics, unemployment rates in the central valley are highest and as of June above 15 percent. Failing farms put the U.S. food supply at risk. News of the California state budget crisis have been in the news for the past two months, but there’s bound to be more to come if we don’t look seriously at personal water use decisions.
Written by Kevin O’Donnell, fundamentalist at thread collaborative. To read more, please visit our web site. Kevin presented this information and more at the Wise Water Use Expo in Mar Vista (Los Angeles) last night.
Linda Lucille
said on July 22, 2009
thread collaborative
said on July 22, 2009
To my knowledge there are no serious efforts to reduce water usage in the beef, pork, or poultry industries. What limited focus there is on the environment seems to center on waste treatment and methane reduction. But I don't consider myself an expert in that area. There may very well be action taking place that I'm unaware of. But now that you've asked I'll need to check into it.
Yeah, it's all pretty staggering info. Thanks for the question.
Bob Kurz
said on July 22, 2009
Waste products would still be generated, but maybe they would be less harmful to the environment since instead of being created in feedlots, the waste would be distributed on grassland. I don't know if that's any better for the environment...that stuff would probably dissolve into ground water one way or another, but we never had this pollution problem "back in the day" when animals roamed freely, did we? It seems to me that this is another reason to lay off of the meat or to adopt a mostly veg, minorly meat diet. I read somewhere that many cultures use meat as an accent rather than the focal point of the meal -- that's making more and more sense to me.
Thanks for the really interesting, illuminating article. Hope to see more stuff written by you in the near future.
thread collaborative
said on July 23, 2009
Although I don't have any direct research to answer the question, my hunch would be that you are correct. I'll have to dig into that a bit. It would be interesting to see the water consumption difference between factory feedlot and field raised cattle. I bet there would be a dramatic difference - maybe half.
Waste would still be produced, but instead of it being a pollutant to be offset or dealt with, it would be a positive that provides nutrient to some other process. In the not so distant past, that waste was fertilizer for the feed crops that sustained the livestock - a closed loop system.
I have to admit that I'm a meat eater. It's not a huge part of my diet, but the more I learn about how it's produced, the environmental toll it takes, and the terrible treatment the animals endure, the more my interest wanes. Other books like Fast Food Nation, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Food Inc., In Defense of Food, and others cover aspects of this issue. And reading them has made me question everything I ingest.
Thanks for the comment.