Joanna Foster, writing for NYT Green:
Globally, agriculture accounts for 92 percent of all freshwater use, with the water-intensive production of cereal grains like wheat, rice and corn accounting for 27 percent of the world’s water footprint. Meat production is responsible for 22 percent and dairy for 7 percent, the study indicates.
The study also traced the virtual flow of water that occurs when one crop is exported to another country. The world’s biggest water exporter? The U.S. of A.