EU Water Resilience Strategy – Position Paper

Whether for washing, cooking, fermenting, cooling, sanitation, equipment washing, etc., water is critical at every stage of the food manufacturing process. Although it uses less than 2% of Europe’s water, food manufacturing has a 30-50% saving potential, equivalent to the annual water use of Czechia.

The solutions are already there. FMTE member companies develop the technologies that improve water efficiency through greater reuse and recycling, and smart water management systems. Today, however, this potential is only partly exploited.

In the continuity of Europe’s Water Resilience Strategy, FMTE presents its proposals to unleash this potential.

Why it matters:

• Reduced water and energy use lowers environmental impact. Water efficiency cuts operating costs and opens new markets. The EU water technology market in food production is projected to grow from $16B in 2024 to $25B by 2030.

What do we propose

• Set targets and benchmarks for water efficiency in food manufacturing Enable greater water reuse Incentivise investment in water efficiency technologies Support innovation & best available technologies

Water efficiency in food manufacturing is an obvious win for Europe, for its sustainability, its resilience and its competitiveness. We expect it to form an integral part of the EU strategy's implementation.

Download the position paper here.