U.S. livestock production has become significantly more water-efficient in the past 50 years, study shows

Livestock producers are using significantly less water in their production today than they did 50 years ago, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska analyzed federal data for U.S. outputs of beef, pork, poultry and milk from 1960 to 2016. They found that national water productivity for all six livestock products—beef, pork, chicken, turkey, milk and eggs—improved “incrementally but substantially” over the 56-year span.

According to the data, the United States produced milk about five times more water efficiently in 2016 than 1960. Pork production was almost four times more efficient; chicken, turkey and eggs collectively were about three times as efficient; and beef was about twice as efficient.

Annual water investments in U.S. livestock dropped 36% from 1960 to 2016, the study showed.

The improvements can be attributed to several factors, Mesfin Mekonnen, the study’s lead author, said in the announcement. Practices like selective breeding, genetic engineering and supplements have increased the weight of livestock. But the animals more efficiently convert their feed into meat, milk and eggs, meaning they don’t need so much feed. Additionally, many of the grains used for livestock feed are produced more efficiently, requiring less water.

This conservation is a good thing, Mekonnen said, but with the global population projected to rise from 7.7 billion people now to almost 10 billion by 2050, production will require even more efficiency.

“Globally, we see that the population is growing, income is improving, and with that, the demand for livestock products is increasing,” Mekonnen said. “When comparing a livestock product to a nutrient-equivalent crop product, livestock demands more water. So with the increase in demand for animal products, there will be more water demand, creating more pressure on the limited available water.”