Water abstraction across our Grocery businesses increased by 9% from 4.43 million m³ in 2023 to 4.80 million m³ in 2024. This was primarily driven by George Weston Foods, which accounts for 46% of the Grocery segment’s total water abstracted in 2024. George Weston Foods increased its water consumption by 14% from 1.9 million m³ in 2023 to 2.2 million m³ in 2024 as a result of an increase in production output as well as improvements in reporting accuracy.

Our Grocery businesses recycled 4% of the water entering their sites in 2024, which also contributed to a reduction in water abstracted.

In the UK, water abstraction across the Grocery Group facilities continues to fall and has reduced by 19% since 2015. Although water is a key ingredient for many of its products, ensuring water usage in non-ingredient applications is minimised has helped achieve this reduction. Within Grocery Group, Acetum, Allied Mills, Westmill Foods and Speedibake all decreased their water use in 2024. 

Grocery Group

As part of the Courtauld Commitment 2030, all Grocery Group UK businesses have signed up to the WRAP water roadmap. This focuses on water use in the supply chain and includes an overall target that 50% of fresh food is sourced from areas with sustainable water management.

In 2024, Grocery Group businesses in the UK have focused on utilising the WWF water risk tool to assess their high volume ingredients, with the aim of following the WRAP stewardship guidance and reducing water risk in the supply chain. This is in addition to the sustainable spice and rice projects in their supply chains which continue to deliver significant water reduction benefits.