The Water Footprint of Food Guide
Provided by: Water Footprint Calculator|Published on: November 28, 2022|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Water Footprint Calculator
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This interactive database provides detailed information and images about the water usage needed to grow and produce one serving of many different types of food and beverages.
- Students will be able to search for specific food items, sort by type, or scroll through a list in order to see how much water is needed to produce them.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This resource is detailed and engaging, as students will be able to search on their own for foods they enjoy.
- Each entry in the guide includes photos, data, and an explanation.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students can read about what a water footprint is and the different types of water used from the links along the top of the page.
- Students will need access to the Internet to use this resource or screenshots could be used for offline incorporation of the material into lessons.
Differentiation
- Cross-curricular connections can be made in health classes learning about healthy food choices or water consumption, or in social studies classes considering how the food produced in certain places can impact water reserves or farming practices.
- Science classes could use this resource to discuss the difference between foods that come from trees and plants vs. foods that come from animals and take into account the ecosystem and climate benefits of well-established trees/plants, such as regulating the water cycle, filtering water and air, producing oxygen, providing habitat, reducing erosion, and sequestering carbon dioxide.
- This resource would lend itself well to a jigsaw activity where each student becomes an expert on one, or several, entries in the guide and then shares their learning with their classmates.
- As an extension, have students piece together several entries in the guide to determine the water usage for a favorite recipe or entire meal.
This catalog features the water use of food products, including where and how they are produced, those that require additional irrigation, and those that cause water pollution due to the application of pesticides and fertilizers. The resource is critically important as it will guide households on food choices that would draw down their water footprint, as compared to the average U.S. water use. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
