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Health & Science3h 42m ago
A single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water to produce and generates approximately 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.
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Who
Mesfin Mekonnen, Arjen Hoekstra, Joseph Poore, Thomas Nemecek
What
A single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water to produce and generates approximately 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.
When
Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:30:05 GMT · 3h 42m ago
Where
global ·
Why
This environmental cost is due to water usage in feed cultivation and methane emissions from cattle and land-use change.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
The substantial environmental footprint of beef production, particularly US consumption, highlights an opportunity for significant reductions in water use and greenhouse gas emissions through dietary changes, especially as beef is consistently the most water-intensive major food product.
Story chain
6 events in this thread- Health & Science3h 42m agoA single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water and generates approximately 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.Open article
- Health & Science3h 42m agoA single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water to produce and generates about 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.Open article
- Health & Science3h 42m agoA single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water to produce and generates approximately 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.Open article
- Health & Science3h 42m agoA single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water and generates approximately 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.Open article
- Health & Science3h 42m agoA single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water to produce and generates approximately 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.Open article
- Currently Reading3h 42m agoA single kilogram of conventionally farmed beef requires approximately 15,400 litres of water to produce and generates approximately 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.