Water Statistics: For Food Production

World Water Day celebrates its 19th edition on March 22 and will be themed around water and food security.

At a time when drought, food and water scarcity are devastating parts of the world -- particularly the developing areas -- water advocates are pushing the notion of measuring your water footprint.

Aside from the water used for drinking, cooking, and washing, a major part of a consumer's water footprint also involves the virtual or embedded water needed to produce a product.  

For example, it takes about 1,500 liters of water to produce 1 kg of wheat, and about 10 times more to produce 1 kg of beef. That translates to 7,000 liters of water for steak dinner.

Check out how much water is needed to produce your meal in the list provided below by the United Nations for World Water Day:

Cereal, 1 cup = 130 liters
Orange Juice, 1 cup =170 L
Coffee, 1 cup = 140 L
Cheese, 1 portion = 250 L
Rice, 100 g = 140 L
Milk, 1 glass = 200 L
Tea, 1 cup = 35 L
Sugar, 1 piece = 10.5 L
Lettuce, 1 kg = 130 L
Apple/Pear, 1, 70= L
Chicken meat, 150 g = 615 L
Pork meat, 150 g, 690 L
Egg, 1, 135 L
Banana, 1, 70 L
Olives, 100 g = 250 L
Oats, 100g = 237 L
Onions, 100g = 17 L
Soybeans, 100g, = 275 L
Pineapple, 100g = 42 L
Chocolate, 100g = 2,400 L
Cucumber, 100 g = 24 L
Grapes, 100 g = 45.5 L
Lemon, 100 g = 34 L
Margarita Pizza = 1,216 L
Hamburger = 2,400 L