COMERCIO VIRTUAL DE AGUA Y HUELLA HIDROLÓGICA EN PRODUCCIONES GANADERAS. La DP ecoeficiente en proyectos y programas de generación de alimentos de origen animal.

Abstract

The rational and sustainable use of water as a basic raw material in the production of animalbased foodstuffs for human consumption requires a new approach to unite criteria of ecoefficiency and concepts of better use, availability and recycling. The global production of animal-based protein (meat, fish, eggs and milk) is extremely significant: 90 million tonnes of pork, 57 million tonnes of beef, 58 million tonnes of chicken, 568 million m3 of litres of milk, 50 million tonnes of eggs and 32 million tonnes of fish from aquaculture. Such production volumes are expected to double in the year 2050. If we take an average animal with a live weight of 110 kg as a productive reference, between 8 and 19 litres of drinking water per day are required, between 6 and 85 litres of clearing water per day depending on the productive cycle and lairage type; 300 kg of feed (in order to produce one kg of wheat, 900 litres of water are needed) and 1,000 litres of manure is produced (99% water content) with an average N content of between 4 and 5 kg N/m3). During slaughtering and processing, between 50 and 80 litres of water are used. Concerning energy, this production type (110 kg of live weight) requires 1000 litres of fossil fuel, which in turn generate 2.5 tonnes of CO2. In order to eliminate the nitrogen content in the waste, 2 Kwe/h is required for every 5kg of N in the manures. Livestock farming generates 18% of greenhouse gas emissions all over the world, and 65% of nitrogen oxide emissions (N2O). This paper describes the evolution of design, projects management direction for generation of foodstuff from animal origin programs, their adaptation to certain contexts by introducing essential eco-efficiency indicators and methodologies in the internal organization and external projects managed by the zootechnical developed specific projects for our clients. Keywords: virtual water, valorization, project management, live cycle analisys, life cycle assessment, treatment technologies, sustainable development, food safety, health and safety, greenhouse gases, livestock, ecological footprint, hidrologycal footprint, ecoefficiency.