Manufacturing & Supply Chain

With this year’s World Water Day, on March 22, focusing on raising awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy, Europe’s food and drink industry reaffirms its commitment to contribute to a water and energy efficient food supply chain.

In 20 years’ time, demand for water will be 40% higher than it is today and freshwater use is expected to exceed natural renewal by over 60%. Sustainable water management is key for the food and drink industry and requires shared responsibility along the chain.Europe’s food and drink industry has a minimal direct impact in terms of water consumption (approximately 1.8% of total water use by European industries); nevertheless it is continuously striving to achieve measurable water reduction, waste water quality, better water re-use and water recovery, from the factory level to the final product.

Europe’s food and drink manufacturers are actively involved in many water stewardship initiatives, such as partnering with local communities and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, from farmers through NGOs and governments to other private sector actors across the supply chain.

In the context of resource efficiency, FoodDrinkEurope, is working closely with partners under the multi-stakeholder initiative, the European Food Sustainable Consumption and Production Round Table, and has developed the ENVIFOOD Protocol on the assessment of the environmental impact of food and drink products, where water plays an important part. The Protocol provides guidance on how to manage impact on water use when developing Life Cycle Assessments on food and drink products.

FoodDrinkEurope President, Jesús Serafín Pérez comments: “Europe’s food and drink manufacturers continue to lead the way in efficient water management. With initiatives such as the ENVIFOOD Protocol, our industry proves its commitment to the long-term sustainability of the food chain, where water plays a fundamental part. The importance of such efforts is highlighted in the context of this World Water Day, with FoodDrinkEurope placing water efficiency as one of the key priorities of achieving smart, green growth as an industry.”