Water use

Last reviewed: January 9, 2026

Summary

Water footprints vary widely by food and region; some plant foods are water-intensive. But many animal products also have high water footprints due to feed production and production systems. The strongest evidence-based approach is comparing specific foods and focusing on high-impact items (especially ruminant meat and dairy in many contexts).

Evidence Summary

Water impact depends on blue/green water accounting and local scarcity. Evidence quality: Moderate–High Limitations / nuance: Avoid simplistic “almonds vs beef” memes; use region-specific data and scarcity weighting. Bottom line: Water is nuanced; diet shifts still tend to reduce impacts when replacing high-impact animal products.

Supporting Evidence

Caveats: Some plant foods are also water-intensive; context matters.