The Link Between Food and Water | The Nature Conservancy

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Striking a Healthy Balance between Water and Food

The water we drink is a fraction of the water we use – more “hidden water” is in the food we eat.

Center Pivot irrigation system in a soybean field north of Aurora, Nebraska. PHOTO CREDIT: ©Chris Helzer/TNC

Nature gives us our water, and we use it to grow our food. But not much thought is given to how much water it takes to make the food we eat. For example, did you know that it can take 10 gallons of water to create one slice of bread?

As we quickly approach 7 billion people, with another 2 billion projected by 2050, the world is facing a big challenge: how do we produce more food without irreparably damaging – or completely depleting – our natural resources that we depend on for drinking water, clothing, housing and other goods?

Thanks to our supporters, The Nature Conservancy is working with partners – from farmers and ranchers to universities and government agencies – around the globe to find new ways to strike a healthy balance between our plates, our water and our own backyards.

Features

Silver Creek at Silver Creek Preserve in Idaho, United States. © Harold E. Malde

How Green is Your Beer?

From Idaho to Bogota, we're working with brewers and farmers around the world to make beer more sustainable.

Arizona rancher Mike Mercer © Tana Kappel/The Nature Conservancy

Grass-fed Beef Saves Water

After switching to native grasses, third generation rancher Mike Mercer is saving millions of gallons of water, cutting fuel costs and tapping into the grass-fed beef market.

Irrigation System © Calvin Perry

Creative Conservation on the Flint River

Innovative water conservation practices are being transferred from the research laboratory to the working farm to meet the needs of a growing world.

Songbirds, turtles, steelhead trout and more cling to the Santa Clara River and its woodlands for life. It also connects up precious patches of remaining habitat, enabling species like mountain lions to migrate and find enough food. Photo © digitalART2

Help Mountain Lions – Eat Guacamole

Conservation easements protect critical habitat and help California farmers stay in business.

The Connecticut River as seen from South Sugarloaf Mountain in Deerfield, Massachusetts. In the late 1990's. the Conservancy began the Connective River Project to bring together staff from the river's four states to identify focus areas to prioritize conservation within the basin. © Jerry and Marcy Monkman

Food, Water and Nature: Can We Have All Three?

To meet the world’s growing demands for food, we’re going to have to be smart about the way we use water.

Washington farmer Dave Hedlin participates in The Nature Conservancy's Farming for Wildlife program in Washington's Skagit Valley. © Bridget Besaw

Farming for Wildlife

The “Farming for Wildlife” partnership helps restore lost shorebird habitat while supporting local farms in the Skagit Valley.

Dan Kusnierz, the Water Resources Program Manager for the Penobscot Nation, collects water samples on the Penobscot River near Indian Island, Maine. The Nature Conservancy in partnership with an unprecedented array of partners, including the Penobscot Indian Nation, have come together to accomplish the goal of restoring the Penobscot River. © Bridget Besaw

When the River is Healthy, Everyone Wins

From fish production to recreation to hydropower – the Penobscot is a model for restoration that takes into account the entire river basin and all its uses.