As the first in the world, Raisio labelled total water consumption of its product, H2O LABEL ON ELOVENA OAT FLAKES
Raisio plc, Press release 15 April 2009
As the first in the world, Raisio labelled total water consumption of its
product
H2O LABEL ON ELOVENA OAT FLAKES
Raisio is the world's first food company to add an H2O label to product
packaging, indicating the total water consumption of the product. The label was
added to Elovena oat flakes, which only a year ago pioneered the CO2 label. In
addition to climate matters, water consumption is one of the biggest global
environmental challenges. Clean, drinkable water is becoming a scarce resource
worldwide, and the lack of water will affect all of us directly or indirectly.
The total water consumption of Elovena oat flakes is 101 litres per 100 grams of
the product. According to the Water Footprint Network, the total water
consumption of, for example, one apple (100 g) is around 70 litres, while that
of beef is some 1,600 litres per 100 grams of meat.
The Elovena H2O label indicates the product's water footprint throughout the
production chain - from the field to the ready, packaged product. The footprint
includes the water that the plant uses for growth, the water used in production,
as well as the resulting wastewater. Most of the consumption consists of the
water that oats use during the growth period and get from rain water, as a part
of the natural water cycle. Since the oat grown in Finland is not irrigated, it
does not compete for clean, drinkable water.
Raisio devised its own calculation model, since no internationally established
formula and product labelling exist as yet. The calculations for primary
production are based on evaporation data from the Finnish Meteorological
Institute's weather observation stations, the water consumed in oat cultivation
and the three-year averages for oat crops supplied by Raisio's contract farmers.
Oat flake production and packaging materials jointly account for well under one
per cent of the overall water consumption. The production process does not
generate any wastewater, since oat flakes are made by steaming.
Consumers are showing increasing interest in the impact that their consumption
habits have on the climate change and the environment. Matti Rihko, Raisio's
CEO, says the company hopes to receive feedback on the label and the calculation
method so that both can be further developed. “If consumers find that the label
gives them the information they need for consumption choices, Raisio will add
the label to other products as well.”
Freshwater, that is, water suitable for drinking and cultivation, accounts for
only around one per cent of the global water resources. Around 70 per cent of
this is used for agriculture. The average water footprint of Finns is 4,700
litres a day (1,727 m3 a year)*. Most of this is hidden water. As much as 41 per
cent of the volume is generated outside of Finland, meaning that it affects the
water reserves of other nations. The UN estimates that two-thirds of the world's
population will suffer from lack of water in 2025.
*Source: Chapagain & Hoekstra 2004
RAISIO PLC
Heidi Hirvonen
Communications Manager
tel. +358 50 567 3060
Further information:
Matti Rihko, CEO, tel. +358 400 830 727