Nestlé chief executive Paul Bulke has painted a picture of a bleak future for global food production if farmers, suppliers and even consumers do not get a grip on water preservation.

Speaking at the annual City Food Lecture at London’s Guildhall this week, the head of the world’s largest food company said demand for water is expected to be 50 per cent higher in 2030, with a stark risk of shortages for agriculture, which uses 70 per cent of global freshwater supplies.

Bulcke, who outlined a number of initiatives which he said had reduced water usage at Nestlé by up to two thirds in some cases, said that freshwater withdrawals have to be brought back into line with supply. “We are embedding sustainable water management in our facilities around the world.”

Specifically, he stressed there must be increased efficiency in the entire water value chain and food chain generally; industry and governments must work together on policy; there must be reduced distortions in the market such as those created by subsidies; and water must be “given a value”. “The root of the problem is: does water have a value in people’s minds? The issue must be addressed urgently,” he said.

Speaking during the subsequent panel debate Chris Shearlock, sustainable development manager at the nation’s largest farmer, The Co-operative Group, stressed the importance of water to the supermarket. “We have set out our stall to put environmental and development objectives on the same level as our business objectives,” he said. “We want to be held accountable on this.”

Professor Tim Benton, the UK’s champion for the Global Food Security programme, added that the issue of water is “huge”, citing the statistic that 50 per cent of the world will be water insecure by 2050 and stressing that will mean consumers will only be able to have five per cent of their diets made up of meat.

The water debate comes as UK vegetable producers step up efforts to conserve the resource. Greenvale’s Project Cascade has been lauded, while this week Produce World announced it had slashed water consumption at one of its sites by half. Water meters have been fitted to all of the potatoes washing lines at the firm’s Sutton Bridge site, while a new 180m3 coldwater storage tank has also been installed.

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