Assessing the Water Footprint of Tofu Produced from Organically Cultivated Crops
USMAN, ILYASS (2011)
Yrkeshögskolan Novia
2011
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2011121318291
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2011121318291
Tiivistelmä
ABSTRACT
This study employs a comprehensive approach in analysing products' water footprint.Today, millions of people around the globe are without adequate and safe freshwater supply, which is rightly captured in the Millennium Development Goals. This phenomenon can be attributed to myriads of factors including pollution from point and diffuse sources, inadequate sanitation systems as well as climate variability. Addressing these impediments requires a holistic approach that involves not only direct water pollution of any activity or products but also the use of freshwater from the root of a
product.
Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and a number of scientific papers and reports were used to collate information. The data includes countries of origin of primary
crops, soy sauce, conditions of primary crop cultivation(irrigation vs. rain-fed) as well as OY Soya AB's own production processes.
The study investigates the volume of freshwater needed to produce 270 g of tofu using organically cultivated crops. The investigations revealed, inter alia, that the indirect water footprint associated with the production of tofu contributed approx. 90 % of OY Soya AB's annual freshwater use. Averagely, 250 litres of freshwater (0.25 m³) is needed to produce a packaged tofu (270 g).
This study employs a comprehensive approach in analysing products' water footprint.Today, millions of people around the globe are without adequate and safe freshwater supply, which is rightly captured in the Millennium Development Goals. This phenomenon can be attributed to myriads of factors including pollution from point and diffuse sources, inadequate sanitation systems as well as climate variability. Addressing these impediments requires a holistic approach that involves not only direct water pollution of any activity or products but also the use of freshwater from the root of a
product.
Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and a number of scientific papers and reports were used to collate information. The data includes countries of origin of primary
crops, soy sauce, conditions of primary crop cultivation(irrigation vs. rain-fed) as well as OY Soya AB's own production processes.
The study investigates the volume of freshwater needed to produce 270 g of tofu using organically cultivated crops. The investigations revealed, inter alia, that the indirect water footprint associated with the production of tofu contributed approx. 90 % of OY Soya AB's annual freshwater use. Averagely, 250 litres of freshwater (0.25 m³) is needed to produce a packaged tofu (270 g).