Govoni Camilla, Chiarelli Davide Danilo, Rulli Maria Cristina
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, DICA, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Sci Data. 2024 Dec 21;11(1):1419. doi: 10.1038/s41597-024-04264-2.
Agriculture accounts for a significant share of global freshwater use, with the livestock sector contributing substantially. The production of animal feeds stands out as the step of the production chain responsible for the high water use associated with the consumption of animal-source foods. Estimating the water footprint (WF) of livestock feeds is crucial for sustainable animal farming. This study fills gaps in the existing literature by evaluating the WF of 140 animal feed products across 262 countries. Utilizing the WATNEEDS model, we quantify green and blue water requirements based on crop-specific areas and climatic data averaged between 2015 and 2019. Our analysis covers rainfed and irrigated conditions, considering crop yields, conversion factors, and feed use fractions. Results provide insights into the water footprint associated with diverse feed products globally, aiding in informed decision-making for sustainable livestock production systems. This dataset contributes to enhancing our understanding of the environmental impact of the livestock sector and informs on strategies for water resource management in the agri-food sector through more sustainable animal nutrition.
农业在全球淡水资源使用中占很大比例，其中畜牧业贡献巨大。动物饲料生产是生产链中导致与动物源食品消费相关的高用水量的环节。估算牲畜饲料的水足迹（WF）对于可持续畜牧业至关重要。本研究通过评估262个国家的140种动物饲料产品的水足迹，填补了现有文献的空白。利用WATNEEDS模型，我们根据2015年至2019年期间平均的特定作物面积和气候数据，对绿水和蓝水需求进行了量化。我们的分析涵盖了雨养和灌溉条件，考虑了作物产量、转换系数和饲料使用比例。研究结果为全球不同饲料产品的水足迹提供了见解，有助于为可持续畜牧生产系统做出明智决策。该数据集有助于加深我们对畜牧业环境影响的理解，并通过更可持续的动物营养为农业食品部门的水资源管理策略提供参考。
