Water and its (un)conscious consumption: consumers and their water footprint in food products

Water is a primary resource, essential for life on planet Earth. It is not only a beverage or an indispensable tool for human hygiene and personal care, but also, above all, an essential means for agriculture and livestock farming. The aim of this study is to verify, through a short survey among a sample of University students, studying in Italy, their knowledge of the concept of “water footprint”. In brief: are young consumers aware of the amount of water hidden within the food they regularly consume? To that end, a quantitative survey was conducted among young consumers at Italian Universities, using the “Computer-Assisted Web Interview” (CAWI) method. The results revealed a pronounced curiosity for this issue, counteracted by, unfortunately, a widespread unawareness of the water footprint of food products. The study focused on University students, who represent future consumers. For a more comprehensive research approach, the authors are already working on a new questionnaire to be administered in several European Union countries, aiming to involve a broader range of age groups. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first quantitative study on young people studying in Italy referring to their (un)conscious water consumption in relation to food choices.