On 14-16 December 2022, experts from the Indonesia, Germany, New Zealand, Chile, Italy, Spain met at ATB in Potsdam, Germany, with the aim of advancing and harmonising the assessment of water use in livestock production systems and supply chains worldwide, and consequently improving water use in the livestock sector.

The expert workshop was held in a hybrid format to assess the implementation of the water use guidelines developed by the Technical Advisory Group for the FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership. For this, case studies were presented that applied various methods to evaluate potential adaptation strategies to raise water productivity and reduce water use impact of livestock production systems and supply chains (e.g. LEAP guidelines).

In their presentations, the experts presented case studies that applied different methods to evaluate potential adaptation strategies to increase water productivity and reduce the environmental impacts of water use by livestock production systems and supply chains. The application of innovative methods was presented and analysed, focusing on water scarcity and water productivity. Model calculations, data requirements, scope of analyses and associated uncertainties were also discussed and reviewed, with the aim of providing a solid understanding of the pressures that livestock farming exerts on water resources. The findings will be used to support future improvements in water productivity in the livestock sector and to reduce the contribution to water scarcity.

The main results of the workshop will be published as a special issue in a journal (e.g.  Agricultural Water Management) and reported to the LEAP Partnership Secretariat of FAO.

Program (pdf)

Presentations on the contributions of the workshop

1. The Co-operative Research Programme: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (CRP) - András Székács
2. Accounting for livestock water productivity: How and why? - Katrin Drastig
3. Direct water consumption and water scarcity footprint of beef meat in relation to available freshwater resources - Giacomo Pirlo
4. Consumption, productivity and cost: three dimensions of water and their relationship with the supply of artificial shading for beef cattle in feedlots - Taisla Inara Novelli 
5. Assessment of water use and supply chain in Integrated Beef Cattle-Oil Palm System in Indonesia - M.Nasir Rofiq
6. Ration optimization to reduce methane emission intensity and water footprint of milk - Bhupendra Phondba
7. Water Footprint Analysis of Milk Processing Industry: A Case Study of Punjab (India) - Hanish Singh / Inderpreet Kaur / Pranav K. Singh 
8. Water productivity of livestock in an experimental watershed in Brazil and the water scarcity footprint associated - Sofia Zanella Carra 
9. Benchmarks for the indicator litre of water per kilogram of milk by production system and type of consumption in the Brazilian dairy farms - Julio Cesar Pascale
10. Water outcomes of soil health management practices in grazing lands - Leah Renwick
11. A global assessment of water use, impacts on water scarcity, and water footprints in the livestock sector - Dominik Wissner
12. Understanding spatial dynamics in LCA application: regionalization of CF - Marta Ruiz Colmenero
13. Water footprinting of NZ dairy farming – effects of data sources and scale - Ranvir Singh
14. Blue water productivity of milk produced in six pasture-based farms in Southern Brazil - Alessandra Rech Grando / Sofia Zanella Carra 
15. Water consumption by livestock production in Hungary - István Waltner/ András Székác

Contact: Dr. Katrin Drastig

Further information: LEAP Water TAG Guidlines