‘Wasted food is actually wasted water’

Production of energy requires water in various stages, whether it is to generate energy itself (hydropower), or to cool equipment, power plants and produce fuel. Similarly, water is necessary during food storage in cold rooms, transportation and among other things. And so is energy to keep the systems from functioning. The three are, therefore, interlinked. Highlighting this issue, H.R.H. Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan, touched upon the water-energy nexus and how it affects the farmers, when speaking at AMWAJ 2016 in Jordan. “We must remain constant in reminding all concerned that the current status quo will ultimately benefit no one. The three interlinked and immutable challenges of energy, food and water pose unprecedented existential threats to all our people.” John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer of UTC, also threw light on the link between food wastage and wasting of water. Pointing out that there is only 1.3% of freshwater that is accessible despite 70% of earth being covered in water, Mandyck said that food wastage severely depletes global freshwater reserves. “And we take 70% of that to grow our food… and then, we throw 40% of that away,” he said. “We have to understand that wasted food is actually wasted water. The irrigated water we use to grow food that we throw away is greater than the irrigated water used by any country in the globe.”