The Case for Water : Enhancing Climate Tools for Institutional Dining; Assessing opportunities to expand the Coolfood Calculator

This paper explores the opportunity to integrate water use into the World Resource Institute's Coolfood Calculator by assessing data availability, existing frameworks and tools for tracking and communicating water metrics across different stages of the supply chain. It reviews why water should be considered alongside GHGs and then provides an overview of existing research, certification programs, and measurement tools. The paper breaks down water usage across four phases of the food system: growing, processing, transportation, and preparation. It ends with a discussion and recommendations focused on opportunities for Coolfood members to influence water stewardship within their own operations and across the food system.