在斯德哥爾摩舉行的世界水資源週(World Water Week)，於8月21日發佈一份政策簡報，指出糧食在生產過後，大量的食物浪費在加工、運輸、超市和廚房每一環節，浪費食物的同時也消耗水資源。
這份簡報由斯德哥爾摩國際水資源中心、聯合國農糧組織和國際水資源管理中心(IWMI)共同撰述，文中指出，當前糧食的浪費危機遠超過生產危機，而浪費糧食的行徑無異於開著水龍頭任其流洩一般。
「目前糧食的生產是足以供應、甚至遠超過全球所需，平均的分配與取得食物才是問題所在：在許多人仍處於飢餓的同時，另一群人則是吃得太多。」報告直陳：「我們生產的糧食不僅供應所需，還養成我們浪費食物的習慣！」
IWMI研究員法圖博士(Charlotte de Fraiture)表示：「在用於生產糧食的水資源中，被耗損或浪費的比例超過一半！勒緊這些浪費和提高水資源產率才能為農民、業者、生態系和全球飢餓現象帶來雙贏機會。」
她認為，唯有將減少食物浪費，並強制將之放入政治議程，才能有效落實節水策略。以美國為例，30%的食物被丟棄─相當於483億美元。簡報指出：「那相當於開著水龍頭、浪費整整40兆公升的水─足以供應5億人口的家庭用水。」
這份政策簡報《省水：從農地到餐桌，減少食物網絡中的浪費》呼籲政府在2025年之前，將糧食生產後的浪費比例減低一半，並明列具體實踐步驟。
糧食在抵達消費者手中之前或之後的浪費，都造成水資源損失。 報告指出，在較貧窮國家，大部分食物不可食的部份，在消費前即已耗損：約有15-35%比例的農作物會在農地中損失，另外10-15%折損在在加工、運輸和貯存過程。
在較富裕國家，生產過程較有效率，但整體浪費比例卻更高，報告提告： 「消費者丟棄買回來的食物，也丟掉生長、運送和生產那些食物所花費的資源。 」 這些食物會在掩埋時產生甲皖—這是比二氧化碳效果頑強21倍的溫室氣體。
斯德哥爾摩國際水資源中心是這次世界水資源週的主辦單位，該機構面對當前高升的水資源危機，致力以政策促成國際合作。
2008年，斯德哥爾摩水資源獎(Stockholm Water Prize)頒給倫敦國王學院、提出「虛擬水」概念的安瀾教授(John Anthony Allan) 。
虛擬水是一種評估糧食在生產和貿易過程中所消耗水資源的計算方式，整體概念和世界水資源週的政策簡報的訴求相符。
在研究中東國家的水資源短絀時，安瀾教授以虛擬水概念發展一套理論，透過進口食物來進口虛擬水，作為另類水資源，舒緩國內水資源不足地區的壓力。
虛擬水說明了何以美國、阿根廷和巴西每年出口數十億公升的水，而日本、埃及和義大利則需進口相當份量。水資源獎評選委員會認為，這套理論為更有效使用水資源，開啟了另一扇。
舉例來說，透過貿易將水商品化，並銷往缺水地區，可強化區域性、國家性和全球性的水和食物之保障。
Tremendous quantities of food are wasted after production - discarded in processing, transport, supermarkets and kitchens - and this wasted food is also wasted water, finds a policy brief released Thursday at World Water Week in Stockholm.
The brief authored by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Water Management Institute shows that the current food crisis is less a crisis of production than a crisis of waste. Tossing food away is like leaving the tap running, the authors say.
"More than enough food is produced to feed a healthy global population. Distribution and access to food is a problem - many are hungry, while at the same time many overeat," the brief states. But, it says, "we are providing food to take care of not only our necessary consumption but also our wasteful habits."
"As much as half of the water used to grow food globally may be lost or wasted," says Dr. Charlotte de Fraiture, a researcher at IWMI. "Curbing these losses and improving water productivity provides win-win opportunities for farmers, business, ecosystems, and the global hungry."
"An effective water-saving strategy requires that minimizing food wastage is firmly placed on the political agenda," she said.
In the United States, for instance, as much as 30 percent of food, worth some US$48.3 billion, is thrown away. "That's like leaving the tap running and pouring 40 trillion liters of water into the garbage can - enough water to meet the household needs of 500 million people," says the report.
The policy brief, "Saving Water: From Field to Fork - Curbing Losses and Wastage in the Food Chain," calls on governments to reduce by half, by 2025, the amount of food that is wasted after it is grown and outlines attainable steps for this be achieved.
Water losses accumulate as food is wasted before and after it reaches the consumer.
In poorer countries, a majority of uneaten food is lost before it has a chance to be consumed. Depending on the crop, an estimated 15 to 35 percent of food may be lost in the field. Another 10 to15 percent is discarded during processing, transport and storage, the brief states.
In richer countries, production is more efficient but waste is greater, the report says. "People toss the food they buy and all the resources used to grow, ship and produce the food along with it."
As this wasted food rots in landfills it generates methane, a gas that causes climate change and is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
World Water Week is hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute, a policy institute that contributes to international efforts to combat the world's escalating water crisis.
The annual event features the award of the 2008 Stockholm Water Prize, which this year was bestowed upon Professor John Anthony Allan from King's College London, who introduced the "virtual water" concept.
Virtual water is a measurement of how water is embedded in the production and trade of food and consumer products and is the concept on which the policy brief, "Saving Water: From Field to Fork - Curbing Losses and Wastage in the Food Chain," is based.
While studying water scarcity in the Middle East, Professor Allan developed the theory of using virtual water import, via food, as an alternative water "source" to reduce pressure on the scarcely available domestic water resources there and in other water-short regions.
By explaining how and why nations such as the United States, Argentina and Brazil export billions of liters of water each year, while others like Japan, Egypt and Italy import billions, the virtual water concept has opened the door to more productive water use, said the Water Prize Nominating Committee.
National, regional and global water and food security, for example, can be enhanced when water intensive commodities are traded from places where they are economically viable to produce to places where they are not.
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