Virtual Water: Why we eat more water than we drink - Faith-Based Advocacy

Ecumenical Water Network http://water. oikoumene. org February 2009 Virtual Water: Why we eat more water than we drink Take a moment to guess: - how much water you use when you are taking a bath and how much you use when you are eating a hamburger? Most of... More

Ecumenical Water Network http://water. oikoumene. org February 2009 Virtual Water: Why we eat more water than we drink Take a moment to guess: - how much water you use when you are taking a bath and how much you use when you are eating a hamburger? Most of us are not aware that vast amounts of water are used, and often polluted, in the production of our food and goods. Or did you know that it takes about 120 litres to fill a bath tub, but about 2400 litres to produce a single hamburger? “Virtual” or “hidden water” is the water that is needed to produce the many different goods we use and consume every day. Only the smallest proportion of global water use is directly used by households while agriculture accounts for almost 70% of the global water use, mainly for irrigation, and industry for about 20%. 1 apple – 70 litres* 1 egg – 200 litres 1 cup of coffee – 140 litres 1 sheet of paper – 10 litres 1 cotton shirt – 2700 litres 1 kg of chicken meat – 3900 litres 1 kg of beef - 15500 li Less