Advances in measuring the water footprint of dairy farming

The water footprint (WF) is a comprehensive methodology used to estimate the total water consumption associated with the production of a product and serves as an important tool for assessing sustainability in the livestock sector. The WF indicates the water consumption per unit of product and consists of three components: green water, blue water and grey water. In dairy farming, WF is assessed in specific categories such as feed production, drinking water and service water. Recent studies focus on the variability of water consumption across different regions, particularly in feed production, and the strategies used for calculating WFs under varying conditions of water scarcity. They also examine the effectiveness of different calculation methods at improving region-specific approaches, water productivity and addressing and local water challenges. This chapter aims to evaluate the findings from recent research and case studies, focusing on the latest developments in measuring the WF of dairy farming.