World Water Day 2024: Water Stewardship is the New Black
March 22nd, 2024
By: Heather Vaughan, L.Ac, MSOM, C.Ay, CYT
“Public health and prosperity, food and energy systems, economic productivity and environmental integrity all rely on a well-functioning and equitably managed water cycle.”
Water for Peace is the theme of World Water Day 2024, and it revolves around water stewardship. Why? Food production relies entirely on abundant, reliable, clean water supply. Have you ever considered how much water is used to produce the food we eat in just one day? “According to Save the Water (2019), it takes approximately 25,000 liters of water to cultivate and manufacture a day’s worth of food for a family of four,” (Forbes). For example, a pecan farm uses 3,000 gallons of water per acre, per day. All told, the $6 billion agri-food industry accounts for 70% of all freshwater withdrawals.
So, as health and environment-conscious natural foods customers, we know you want to do your best to support healthy water systems that will continue to nourish and hydrate communities for centuries to come. So, in honor of World Water Day 2024, we are here to highlight the most innovative water stewards in our industry, harnessing their creativity to lead the way to a sustainable future on our blue planet.
First, some World Water Day 2024 definitions.
Stewardship: The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) defines stewardship as “the responsible planning and management of resources.”
Water Stewardship: By applying the concept of stewardship to water, we arrive at water stewardship: “Using water in a way that is socially equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial. “ (UNIDO)
Who are Water Stewards?
Good water stewards engage in meaningful individual and collective actions that prioritize clean, abundant, sustainable water sources.
You.
As individuals, this means paying attention to daily water use and making conscious choices to reduce water waste. This may look like:
- Swapping out a traditional lawn for water efficient landscaping
- Quick showers
- Drinking less water. Just kidding! Hydration is a non-negotiable use of water. In fact, healthy hydration is a major reason why individuals and companies large and small need to do their part to reduce water waste.
- Purchase food from good water stewards. See what we did there?
Businesses and Organizations
Businesses and organizations have the resources (and dare we say, responsibility?) to build their practices and products on sustainability. Here are some of the most innovative moves businesses are making:
Pulling water out of thin air
- Hawa Water utilizes humidity in the air to produce water.
- Amazon Air Water is harvested from water that is produced by the trees of the Amazon rain forest. Bonus: profits go towards sustainable development projects.
Giving leftovers new life
- Aqua Botanical sources water from plants, and can produce about 158.5 gallons of water from one ton of carrots that would have otherwise been wasted.
Farm-to-table levels up
- Gather in Omaha restaurant’s aeroponic urban vertical farm uses 95% less water than conventional farming to yield 3600 pounds of organic vegetables annually.
- Balance Grille’s 8,600-square-foot, vertical, aquaponics farm provides the Ohio restaurants ingredients.
Reimagining ranching with regenerative agriculture
- The Quivera Coalition “Land and Water program helps ranchers develop plans and management strategies for restoring and building resilience on slope wetlands, grasslands, and other working landscapes… and ensures that living and working knowledge of these practices, and the landscape itself, is stewarded into the future.”
Water Stewardship as a Core Value
- Fairmont Marina Bay restaurants in Singapore use high-efficiency dishwashers, saving half a million gallons of water in 2022 alone.
Leveraging Water Efficiency in Marketing
- Companies’ shift to highlighting water stewardship practices makes it easier for you, as a consumer, to make educated, value-driven choices.
FreshPure® Waters’ Stewardship
Here at FreshPure® Water’s headquarters in the Southwest where the Colorado River provides water for four states, we’re acutely aware of the dramatic impact water plays on the environment and communities.
Here are ways we do our part:
- All of us at FreshPure® Waters are proud of our extremely low carbon footprint.
- Our high quality components are refurbished and recycled.
- As of 2023, FreshPure Waters is proud to be the first WaterNeutral™ company, supporting environmental regeneration initiatives and watershed preservation to offset any and all water waste.
We want to thank you, our customers, for your continued commitment to water stewardship.
Happy World Water Day 2024!
Sources:
Forbes: Water Stewardship will be one of the biggest food trends of 2024
Oklahoma State University Extension: Establishing a Pecan Orchard
United Nations Industrial Develop Organization: Water Stewardship
World Health Organization: WHO World Water Day 2024
