Vanishing Water: Rescuing the Neglected Food Resource

Abstract

The annual global amount of water consumed to produce food ranges from 600,000 to 2.5 million liters per capita depending on food habits and food waste generation. Humans need approximately 2–3 L of water daily to maintain health, but only 0.01% of the world’s water is drinkable. Food supplies cannot be generated without land, water, and energy use. The current use of water for production of food is most concerning and requires immediate and increased awareness. Minimal attention has been devoted to the increasing water scarcity and loss of drinking water. Food waste also contains water and therefore also adds to water scarcity that is affecting almost 4 billion people. We summarize the human need of water, its significance for life and for the production, processing, and consumption of foods. This review includes an examination of the history of water; the unique properties of water for sustaining life; water for food production including agriculture, horticulture, and mariculture; the properties of water exploited in food processing; water scarcity due to water demands exceeding availability or access; and its consequences for our world. Means to reduce water scarcity, including using water treatment and promoting change of human habits, are discussed. The future of water and the recommendations for action are proposed for decreasing water scarcity and reducing water use during food production, food processing, food preparation, and consumption.

High and ultra‐high temperature drying of fermented dried noodles: effect on noodle quality and starch properties

“…At UT, the noodles exhibit mild starch swelling. The higher moisture content of the noodles facilitates better water absorption by starch, resulting in a higher peak viscosity of the starch (Knorr & Augustin, 2023). However, in the current study, the peak viscosity of the starch in the UT‐LM samples was higher than in the MM samples, which might be attributed to the degree of damage to the starch granules due to varying moisture contents (Hu et al ., 2023).…”

The future of foods

“…34 Further, the urgently needed diet changes can also provide a potential solution to reduced water use. 35,36 A large scale study on reducing food's environmental impacts through the supply chain (farmers, producers, packaging types, retailers) has been published. 37 Consumers support an approach where producers monitor their own impact, exibly meet environmental targets by choosing from multiple practices and communicate (environmental labels, taxes or subsidies designed to reect environmental costs in product prices, broader education on the true cost of food) their communicate their impacts to consumers.…”

“…We believe that water resilience will be one of the key future challenges 36,41 to be able to meet increasing food demands. Water is a neglected food resource.…”

“…Water is a neglected food resource. 36 Water for irrigation is the largest water use sector accounting in 2014 for 70% of global water withdrawal and nearly 90% of consumptive water use. 3 The amount of water consumed annually to produce food ranges from 6.0 × 10 5 to 2.5 × 10 6 L per capita per year and global water demand for all uses is expected to increase by 20% to 30%.…”

From kitchen scraps to delicacies to food waste

“…44 Food waste contributes to water scarcity, which is projected to increase from 933 million in 2016 to 1.67–2.37 billion in 2050. 45 The reduction of food waste in future will require the use of innovative strategies, sustainable agriculture, and a significant shift in dietary patterns. Food waste in smart cities may be reduced by the development of personalized food products and better food packaging.…”