Abstract
The sustainable use of water, or any other natural resource for that matter, is not the only factor that should be considered in terms of sustainability, as social equity and economic prosperity are equally important. The objective of this study was to analyse different breeds of beef cattle, following the same production method, in terms of their water footprint and economic value addition for different links in the value chain. A bottom-up approach was applied to identify the breed with the best economic water consumption in terms of beef production. The results indicated that the total WF/kg carcass revealed notable differences between the various breeds. The Bonsmara had the smallest WF/kg carcass, while the Limousin had the largest. The WF/kg of beef for the different cuts (rib eye, topside, and flank) showed large variations between the breeds and between the different cuts of beef from the same breed. In terms of the economic water consumption, the Angus consumed between 4% and 25% less water per rand of economic value addition than the Bonsmara, Simmentaler, Simbra, Limousin, Afrikaner, and Brahman. When the economic water consumption of the individual value links was considered, it was found that Bonsmara had the best figures for cow–calf production, while the Limousin and Simmentaler were the best in terms of feedlot finishing and processing, respectively. These contradicting results showed the importance of a bottom-up approach to ensure that the fallacy of division does not occur and, secondly, that possible problem areas in the value chain are identified and addressed separately.
Highlights
Water footprint (WF) research initially set out to quantify water use and make recommendations regarding water use sustainability
This study investigates different breeds of beef cattle, following the same production method, regarding their WF and economic value added (VA) for different links in the value chain through a bottom-up approach to identify the breed with the best economic water consumption (EWC) figures in terms of beef production
WF of the different breeds, allocated to the individual cuts, while the second part reports on the EWC of producing beef from the various breeds
Summary
Water footprint (WF) research initially set out to quantify water use and make recommendations regarding water use sustainability. Elkington [1] coined the term “triple bottom line” (TBL), which refers to a sustainability framework that considers three parts, namely social, ecological, and financial. According to the TBL, a business will only be sustainable when it considers social equity (people), environmental stewardship (planet), and economic prosperity (profit). The improvement of environmental stewardship in terms of the WF of a business should be done in such a manner that it does not ruin the economic prosperity of the business, and the water–economy nexus should be considered. Ibidhi and Salem [6], who did a review of available literature on the WF of livestock production, echoed the statement above by stating that water use is often considered independently of other environmental and economic indicators and mentioned a need for combined indicators
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