The impact of beef on water. — Tara Vander Dussen

We have all heard the media, state governments, social media accounts, and people around us talk about beef and its impact on our world. But have you heard about this from an environmental scientist and dairy farmer? Let’s dive into some facts about these hot topics and see if I can offer a new perspective on beef, water, and sustainability.

Did you know that it takes 5.5 gallons of water to produce one small chocolate bar?! ]

I am not telling you this to make you feel guilty about the (more than) a few candy bars and, therefore, the water we all consumed over the Halloween weekend. But to remind you that every calorie we consume uses our natural resources to produce.

Take a look at a few other beef facts that might surprise you.

94% of the water used to produce beef is green water, aka rainwater that would fall from the sky whether or not you were raising cattle. Only 6% is blue water, aka groundwater or surface water.
Beef requires 122 liters of blue water for 1/4 lb of beef. Almonds need 1097 liters of blue water for 1/4 lb of almonds.
Animal protein accounts for 48% of all our protein and only 24% of our calories.

A sustainable food system is not a simple GHG or water use equation. We need to look at the entire food system, from the land and ecosystem to the calories produced to the macro and micronutrients available. That sustainable system includes a diverse diet with milk, beef, and maybe the occasional chocolate bar.

Everything we eat whether that's a candy bar, a glass of milk, steak, salad, or almonds requires inputs to produce. From water and soil nutrients to plowed land for planting to diesel for harvesting and transporting. When we look at the environmental impact we need to stop comparing apples to oranges, or to put it better apples to beef.

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