· European Water Stewardship · www.ews.info · [email protected] WATER STEWARDSHIP IN DAIRIES Livestock is responsible for 27% of global freshwater water consumpon, and dairy cale account for the majority of that consumpon. 6.4 litres of water are needed to produce 1 litre of milk, for watering, feedlots, operaons, cooling and cleaning facilies. As consumers increasingly demand that transparency and sustainability, dairies have the opportunity to become leaders in sustainable water management. Dairies are using EWS to understand water flows through their operaons and idenfy areas where water can be reduced and/or re- used. Water stewardship cerficaon is evidence that allows dair- ies to assure consumers and investors that their products have been manufactured in the most sustainable way, with the responsible use of natural resources. Learning about how much water is used helps dairies plan their water needs: ensure that enough water is stored for future use, idenfy where savings can be made, where water can be recycled and plan for periods of shortages. Dairies should assess water used for washing vats and machines, cooling milk, cleaning sheds, spraying plaorms, washing the yard Dairies are using this knowledge to establish ambious sec- tor-wide targets and engage in collecve acon with their supply chain actor to reach those targets. Ensuring these targets and the migaon of other water related risks can turn out to be very beneficial in the future for a sector which connues to grow. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN DAIRIES? Dairies are using the EWS standard via pre-screening or cerficaon to: Understand and appreciate the amount of water used Idenfy where and how water can be saved and how to improve efficiency Prepare for potenal changes in licensing or regulaon Build trust with authories and local suppliers Communicate water management performance EWS guides dairies to ‘assess, act and improve’ and im- plement the best water management pracces that im- prove water management without creang unnecessary duplicaon with other exisng environmental schemes. Furthermore, EWS helps dairies idenfy stakeholders for collecve water management. Given the various uses of water within the sector, this is an integral aspect of a sus- tainability program for dairies. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EWS FOR THE DAIRY SECTOR? For more informaon on opportunies for EWS implemen- taon in dairies please contact please contact us at: [email protected]. MORE INFORMATION ON EWS & DAIRIES