Introduction to the problem and scale

About 70% of the Earth’s surface is water. The volume of available freshwater is only a fraction of that total, at just 1%.²

A third of the world’s biggest groundwater systems are already in distress,³ meaning water is extracted faster than it can be replenished.
Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase. Over the past 100 years⁴, its usage has been driven by population growth, socio-economic development, and changes to consumption patterns.⁵
Climate change could also have significant impacts on the water cycle, threatening rainfed agricultural production which currently supports 80% of global cropland and accounts for 60% of global food production.⁶
Globally, water pollution is increasing and harming the ability of ecosystems to sustain themselves and meet human needs.⁷
Over two billion people live in countries already experiencing high water stress⁸ and this number is expected to increase with population growth and increasing urbanisation.
By 2030, 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity,⁹ and the world could face a 40% global water deficit.¹⁰
The challenges of water scarcity, unequal distribution, and contamination are all potential causes for future conflict.
The total cost of water insecurity to the global economy is estimated at US$500 billion annually. ¹¹

How does factory farming affect water use?

Agriculture (including irrigation, livestock and aquaculture) is by far the largest water consumer, accounting for 69% of annual water withdrawals globally.¹²
Industrial livestock production generally uses and pollutes more surface and groundwater than grazing or mixed systems¹³ due to industrial systems’ dependence on grain-based feed. On average, producing 1kg of animal protein requires 100 times more water than producing 1kg of grain protein.¹⁴
The water footprint of any animal product is larger than the water footprint of crop products with equivalent nutritional value.¹⁵
Less intensive outdoor livestock systems can utilise rainfed pasture, demanding far smaller volumes of water extracted from aquifers.¹⁶
“Intensive livestock production is probably the largest sector-specific source of water pollution” according to a UN World Economic social survey.¹⁷ Large quantities of nitrogen fertilisers are used to grow feed, but only 30-60% of this nitrogen is taken up by feed crops; 40-70% is lost to water or the atmosphere.¹⁸
Feed given to industrial livestock has high levels of nitrogen. Pigs and poultry assimilate less than half of the nitrogen in their feed; most is excreted in manure, which is the primary source of nitrogen and phosphorous to surface and groundwater and leads to 'dead zones'.¹⁹

SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all²⁰
SDG 14: Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, sea and marine resources for sustainable development²¹