Livestock and Water Resources: A Comparative Study of Water Footprint in Different Farming Systems

María Macarena Arrien, Maite M. Aldaya and Corina Iris Rodríguez ()
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María Macarena Arrien: Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Ambientales (CINEA), Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Campus Universitario, Tandil 7000, Argentina
Maite M. Aldaya: Science Department, Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Arrosadia Campus, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
Corina Iris Rodríguez: Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Ambientales (CINEA), Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Campus Universitario, Tandil 7000, Argentina

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-23

Abstract: Livestock production systems are major consumers of freshwater, potentially compromising the sustainability of water resources at production sites. The water footprint (WF) quantifies the water consumed and polluted by a product or service. The aim of this study was to evaluate the WF of steer production from the cradle to the farm gate in representative intensive, extensive, and mixed farms located in the southeast of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The WF to produce a live steer varied between 4247 and 5912 m 3 /animal. The extensive system contains the highest green WF but is also the most sustainable compared to industrial and mixed productions since it does not have an associated pollutant load or blue water. This work is the first approach to calculating the WF of live steers in Argentina carried out with local and detailed data and focuses on grey WF related to nitrogen leaching from effluents in intensive systems, showing that the blue and grey footprints increase as production intensifies. The information may be relevant for consumers and producers to make more informed decisions. Furthermore, it is essential for governments to promote sustainable practices in livestock farming, recognizing the dependence on water resources both domestically and throughout international supply chains, in order to assess their environmental policies and ensure national food security.

Keywords: steer production systems; green water; blue water; grey water; feeding scenarios; industrial versus grazing systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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