Calgary (Rural Roots Canada) – How much water do you think it takes to produce a Stampede breakfast, consisting of five pancakes, a sausage and a cup of coffee – from farm to fork?
The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy at the University of Calgary raised this question during Stampede, estimating that it takes a whopping 652 litres of water.
Research Associate Juhi Huda says the amount of water would vary depending on the region and what was included in the breakfast.
“We tried to make it Alberta-specific. So trying to see the way food is produced within a different region. As I said, it varies the amount of water that is used. And so we tried to, again, make it Canada-specific, but those numbers can vary depending upon where food is produced.”
She says if you swapped out coffee for tea, it would lower it to around 450 litres.
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Huda says this work is part of a broader study, under its Ag Literacy for Healthier People and Planet program, sponsored by BMO, focused on making agricultural controversies more accessible to consumers. As part of this effort, the Simpson Centre is developing a series of websites demystifying controversies in the food system, including one that explores irrigation expansion in southern Alberta.
“One of the things that’s been talked about is, should we be spending as much on irrigation expansion? And of course, there are two sides to the debate. There is no right or wrong answer,” she says. “What our project is doing is trying to look at both sides of the debate to see where people are coming from.”
She adds that both sides raise valid points.
“For example, the irrigation industry does contribute a lot to the GDP. About 25 percent, I think, of the GDP comes from here. So there’s quite a bit. There is a lot of reason why we should be expanding irrigation within the region.”
At the same time, she says others are asking whether it is the right path forward in a time of water scarcity.
“There are other voices which state that when we don’t have enough water, then is it one of the best options that we should be working on?”
More information about the Ag Literacy program can be found here.
