Production of food is a highly water-consuming activity. Huge volumes of water are transformed into vapour during the production process, both as plant transpiration and evaporation from the fi elds, canals, reservoirs and high water tables. With prevailing land and water management practices, a balanced diet represents a depleting water use of 1,200 m3/p yr, which is 70 times more than the 50 l/p day used to indicate the basic household needs of water.