It is possible to reduce water consumption to levels approaching zero for many industrial processes. However when a plant uses water, water losses through transpiration/evaporation is fundamental to the health of the plant. It is evaporation of water from the pores (or stoma) in the leaves that powers the movement of water and nutrients from the roots up the stems and out to leaves.

As the foods we eat ultimately gain their energy from plants, the water footprint of plants is a logical place to start to gain understanding. Continue reading →