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The impact of healthier dietary scenarios on the global blue water scarcity footprint of food consumption in the UK

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  • Hess, Tim
  • Andersson, Ulrika
  • Mena, Carlos
  • Williams, Adrian

Abstract

Large quantities of water are required to produce the food for a nation, some of which is derived within the country and some associated with imported food commodities. In this study, we consider the spatially explicit potential impact of alternative healthier eating scenarios for the UK on global blue water scarcity using the concept of a water scarcity footprint. The water required to produce the food consumed by the UK was estimated at 52.6Gm3/y of which 93% is from rainfall at the point where it falls and 7% is “blue” water withdrawn from surface and ground water resources. Five alternative healthier diets were considered and the impact on the blue water scarcity footprint was modest (ranging from −3% to +2% compared to baseline). However more significant impacts were projected on the geographical distribution of the blue water scarcity footprint. This study has shown that if current trade patterns continue, policies to promote healthier eating in the UK may contribute to increased blue water scarcity at home and in other parts of the world. The use of virtual water estimates and global datasets of water scarcity can help to understand the potential environmental impacts of alternative diets.

Suggested Citation

  • Hess, Tim & Andersson, Ulrika & Mena, Carlos & Williams, Adrian, 2015. "The impact of healthier dietary scenarios on the global blue water scarcity footprint of food consumption in the UK," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1-10.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:50:y:2015:i:c:p:1-10
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2014.10.013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Renault, D. & Wallender, W. W., 2000. "Nutritional water productivity and diets," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 275-296, August.
    2. Yu, Yang & Hubacek, Klaus & Feng, Kuishuang & Guan, Dabo, 2010. "Assessing regional and global water footprints for the UK," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 1140-1147, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Orsolya Tompa & Anna Kiss & Matthieu Maillot & Eszter Sarkadi Nagy & Ágoston Temesi & Zoltán Lakner, 2022. "Sustainable Diet Optimization Targeting Dietary Water Footprint Reduction—A Country-Specific Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Allan, Grant & Comerford, David & McGregor, Peter, 2019. "The system-wide impact of healthy eating: Assessing emissions and economic impacts at the regional level," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Monika Zurek & George Garbutt & Theresa Lieb & Tim Hess & John Ingram, 2020. "Increasing Resilience of the UK Fresh Fruit and Vegetable System to Water-Related Risks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-15, September.
    4. Mariana Lares-Michel & Fatima Ezzahra Housni & Virginia Gabriela Aguilera Cervantes, 2021. "A quantitative estimation of the water footprint of the Mexican diet, corrected for washing and cooking water," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(4), pages 849-874, August.
    5. Tsz Wing Tang & Tanja Sobko, 2019. "Environmental Impact of the Average Hong Kong Diet: A Case for Adopting Sustainable Diets in Urban Centers," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Libor Ansorge & Lada Stejskalová, 2022. "Water Footprint as a Tool for Selection of Alternatives (Comments on “Food Recommendations for Reducing Water Footprint”)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-8, May.
    7. Yiyi Cao & Li Chai & Xianglin Yan & Yi Liang, 2020. "Drivers of the Growing Water, Carbon and Ecological Footprints of the Chinese Diet from 1961 to 2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-12, March.
    8. Hess, Tim & Martin, Hannah & Gage, Ewan & Falagán, Natalia, 2026. "How green are my apples? The greenhouse gas emissions and blue water scarcity footprint of fresh apple supply chain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).

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