Location: USA
Year: 2011
Objective: Identify improvement opportunities to reduce the impact on water resources caused by the milk industry in the USA, based on the use of life cycle analysis tool. 
Institutions involved: Innovation Center for U.S Dairy, University of Michigan, Arizona University, Quantis, milk industries.
Results: Each of the stages in the supply and value chain of milk production were identified and related to activities that use and impact water resources. The food production stage (alfalfa, corn, soybean cake) was the most important and the contribution of each agricultural product to the water footprint was quantified. Likewise, the water footprint of the other stages of the milk life cycle, and their contribution to the total, was determined. With the results of the research, a series of recommendations were defined to reduce the impact on water resources throughout the milk value chain.