Measuring the water footprint of a supply chain
Helping food and drink businesses measure and manage their water footprint
ADAS offers food and drink businesses best-practice advice on water stewardship. We can work across the whote food and drink sector – from individual farms to global-level supply chains.
A changing climate and increasing water demand mean that 40% of the global population lives in water-scarce areas. This number will increase. Current estimates say that agriculture consumes 70% of global freshwater. Given competing demand from industry and urban areas, water scarcity is a major risk for the food and drink sector. There is now pressure on businesses to report on water-related financial risks (e.g., Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Reducing your water footprint
To improve resilience, we must first calculate water footprint, which measures the total volume of fresh water used directly and indirectly to produce goods and services. It tracks water consumption and pollution across an entire supply chain. Understanding this assists with managing future scarcity, maximising productivity and minimising costs.
ADAS can help any business, whether it is at a farm, region, or global level, measure their water footprint. Few clients have complete oversight of how their suppliers use water or where water savings can be easily made. We show clients where water loss occurs and assist with implementing practical change
We can help you to
- Identify areas of your supply chain under the greatest water stress. This enables you to prioritise action and meet reporting requirements for financial disclosure.
- Model the impact of improvement programmes and highlight interventions that will not affect productivity.
- Put in place improved practices throughout the supply chain.
- Track water use before and after interventions to quantify the impacts.
- Report and measure progress against targets for improved water efficiency following the Courtauld Commitment 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We work with RSK Group colleagues to support wider water management, from catchment area modelling to infrastructure and waste management.
Work with usProject highlight
We helped PepsiCo calculate irrigation efficiency and water requirements for potato and corn production across their global supply chain.
Discover more from the studyImprove you water efficiency and requirements
We can help you reduce your water footprint.
Get in touch