Water is the lifeline for our food system. Worldwide, 72% of freshwater is used in agriculture. But freshwater availability is under threat due to unsustainable water use and other factors like climate change.
The Water Roadmap, part of the UK Food and Drink Pact, is a structured pathway to tackle this challenge. It equips organisations in the food and drink industry with the knowledge to take action against this escalating crisis in their supply chains. The Roadmap also connects key players in the water sector to protect the water we rely on for food, nature, and the communities connected to our farms.
Over 100 organisations have already committed to the UK Food and Drink Pact’s Water Roadmap. We’re working together to improve water quality, availability and resilience in the world’s most critical fresh food sourcing regions.
Speak to us about the Water Roadmap
Our 2030 ambition for sustainable water use
Through the UK Food and Drink Pact’s Water Roadmap, by we aim to:
- Achieve sustainable water management in the 20 most at-risk UK and global sourcing areas, improving water security at a catchment scale
- Ensure 50% of fresh food is sourced from areas with sustainable water management practices, delivering on the UK Food and Drink Pact’s water target.
The Water Roadmap’s ambitious goals form an important contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6, helping to restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity and accelerate nature-based solutions for a more resilient food system.
The organisations making waves to protect our water resources
Collective action projects: local action for global impact
The world’s water challenges can’t be solved in isolation, they demand collective action at a local level. That’s why the UK Food and Drink Pact’s Water Roadmap collaborates with WWF, The Rivers Trust, food & drink organisations and local partners to tackle water challenges through tailored solutions where they matter most.
Through these collaborations, we’re restoring rivers, improving water efficiency, and protecting the ecosystems and communities that rely on them.
These projects are only possible through partnership. In addition to delivery partners and water sector experts, we need the support and resources of businesses to enable this work. Speak to our team today to explore how your organisation can support or take part in a collective action project.
We’re currently working with partners in:
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Kenya
Supporting improved basin management through data on water conditions in Lake Naivasha
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Peru
Strengthening catchment water cycle and biodiversity, reducing soil runoff and improving community livelihood in Ica.
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South Africa
Coordinating a programme of activity in three fruit-growing areas affected by drought in the Western Cape
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Spain
Supporting collective water stewardship action in several specific priority locations including Doñana, Murcia and Valencia.
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United Kingdom
Working in partnership to deliver projects on diffuse river pollution and holistic on-farm water management in England and Wales.
Without water, there’s no food—and no future. Join today.
The UK Food and Drink Pact’s Water Roadmap is a free, collaborative initiative designed to drive decisive action on the water crisis in our food system.
All UK food and drink organisations are urged to join this movement, gaining access to:
- expert guidance and tools to help you take action in your own supply chains
- opportunities to fund and support local and global water stewardship projects
- a network of like-minded leaders working together for real impact.
And tackling water challenges requires cross-sector collaboration. If you're a sector body, trade association, charity or NGO, we’d love to explore opportunities to build partnerships and drive impact on-the-ground.
Join the Water Roadmap today to build a sustainable future for our water
We cannot produce food without water, and without action, there will be no food.
Contact WRAP’s Water team