Corporate commitments around water stewardship get far less airtime than those for emissions reductions and regenerative agriculture, though in recent years this has started to change. In 2022, water was a prominent item on the COP27 agenda; many agree it’s the next big priority for climate action.
Agrifood corporates have a role to play given their global supply chains and the sheer influence many of these brands have on production systems and consumers. Agribusiness worldwide accounts for 70% of the world’s water usage, according to Ceres, in addition to contributing enormously to pollution.
For World Water Day, we’ve compiled a list of agrifood companies’ commitments to change these facts by reducing and conserving water. The goals range in scope from PepsiCo’s ambitious “net water positive” target to others’ plans to implement conservation projects in high-risk areas.
This list is not exhaustive — we’ve intentionally stuck to companies with very specific dates and targets. Many more mention water in their sustainability decks, albeit in somewhat opaque terms.
As always, drop me a line with your suggestions for other corporates that should be on this list.
| Country | Company | Goal |
| 🇺🇸 | ADM | By 2035: ADM 10% reduction in water intensity & withdrawal over 2019 baseline |
| 🇧🇪 | Anheuser-Busch InBev | By 2025: water use efficiency of 2.5 hl/hl across all brewery sites & 2.0hl/hl at breweries in-water stressed areas |
| 🇺🇸 | Cargill | By 2030: Implement water stewardship practices at all 72 priority facilities, “enable restoration” of 600 billion liters of water and reduction of 5,000 metric tons of water pollutants in water-stressed regions Improve access to safe drinking water for 500,000 people |
| 🇩🇰 | Carlsberg | By 2030: Water usage efficiency of 2.0 hl/hl globally and 1.7 hl/hl at breweries in high-risk areas; 100% water replenishment of water consumption at breweries in high-risk areas |
| 🇺🇸 | Coca-Cola | Water usage efficiency of 2.0 hl/hl globally and 1.7 hl/hl at breweries in high-risk areas; improve health of “critical” 60 watersheds; 100% water replenishment at breweries in high-risk areas |
| 🇫🇷 | Danone | 25% reduction in water consumption for direct farmers in high-risk; reduce water usage in factories in high water-stress areas by 50% |
| 🇺🇸 | Diageo | By 2030: Use 30% less water for every drink made |
| 🇲🇽 | Grupo Bimbo | By 2030: 20% reduction in water use |
| 🇳🇱 | Heineken | By 2030: Reduce water usage from 3.2 hl/hl to of 2.8 hl/hl in water stressed areas and from 3.5 hl/hl to 3.2 hl/hl worldwide |
| 🇺🇸 | Ingredion | By 2025: implement water conservation in 100% of high water-stressed areas By 2030: Reduce water use by 30% in all high water-stressed areas |
| 🇺🇸 | Kellogg | By 2030: Reduce water use in global Kellogg manufacturing facilities in high water stress regions by 30% |
| 🇺🇸 | Keurig Dr. Pepper | By 2025: Improve water use efficiency in its operations by 20% By 2030: Replenish 100% of water used for beverages in highest water-risk countries |
| 🇺🇸 | Kraft Heinz | By 2025: Reduce water use intensity by 15% across our manufacturing facilities |
| 🇺🇸 | Mars | By 2025: “Halve our gap” to unsustainable water usage levels |
| 🇺🇸 | Mondelez International | By 2025: Reduce absolute water usage in priority sites by 10% |
| 🇺🇸 | PepsiCo | By 2030: “Net water positive” |
| 🇯🇵 | Suntory | By 2025: Start water conservation projects in 100% of high water-stressed areas By 2030: Reduce water intensity at Suntory-owned plants by 30%; replenish more water than used in “at least” 50% of Suntory-owned plants |
| 🇬🇧 | Unilever | By 2030: implement water stewardship programs in 100 of our most water-stressed areas |
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