Tackle worldwide water shortages with diet, says The Vegan Society

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TACKLE WORLDWIDE WATER SHORTAGES WITH DIET,
SAYS THE VEGAN SOCIETY

At the start of World Water Week - the forum tackling global water challenges - The Vegan Society has called for a shift in water saving policy, asking people to re-examine their diets for the benefit of the environment and everyone without access to clean drinking water.

Producing animal products is highly resource-intensive. Globally, animal agriculture farming uses about 70% of the planet's accessible freshwater, compared to around 20% for industry, and about 10% for domestic use[1]. Demand for water is increasing, and millions of people are affected by drought every year.

Jasmijn de Boo, CEO of The Vegan Society, said: "Aside from the unavoidable cruelty, feeding crops to farmed animals to then consume as meat and dairy products is an incredibly wasteful and inefficient way to produce food.

"We are frequently encouraged to save water in our everyday lives through making small changes such as taking shorter showers and curbing hosepipe usage. This is fine, but not even remotely the most effective way to save a large amount of water, which is best achieved through a diet free of all animal products."

The production of animal products is responsible for nearly one-third of the total water footprint of agriculture globally[2]. A huge amount of water is needed to grow crops, which are then fed to farmed animals, who also require significant amounts of water to drink. Water is often already scarce in these areas.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers' report on food waste[3] stated that around 10,000 litres of waters are required to produce 1kg of meat, compared with only 300 litres to produce 1kg of potatoes.

De Boo added: "It is clear that our current way of eating is unsustainable and inefficient. By choosing a vegan diet, and eating crops directly, we can be kinder to the planet, ourselves, and animals."

Advice, information and recipes on the vegan diet and lifestyle are available from www.vegansociety.com and from The Vegan Society's social media channels.

FOR MORE PRESS INFORMATION OR INTERVIEWS PLEASE CONTACT JIMMY PIERCE, MEDIA & PR MANAGER, media@vegansociety.com / 0121 523 1738 / 07967042050.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. http://www.worldometers.info/water
2. Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A. (2012). A Global Assessment of the Water Footprint of Farm Animal Products.
3. Institute of Mechanic Engineers (2013). Global Food Waste Not Want Not.

Advice, information and recipes on the vegan diet and lifestyle are available from www.vegansociety.com and from The Vegan Society's social media channels.

The Vegan Society is a registered educational charity (no. 279228) that provides information and guidance on various aspects of veganism to new and potential vegans, caterers, healthcare professionals, educators and the media.