GLOBALG.A.P. SPRING

Kenya is one of the countries facing a scarcity of underground water resources, and as a result, FPEAK members may need to obtain certification under the Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use (SPRING) version 2 (v2), an extension developed by GLOBALG.A.P. This program focuses on responsible water management at the farm level.

SPRING was officially launched on September 5, 2023, and it has gained recognition from organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Spain and the Sustainability Initiative for Fruit and Vegetables (SIFAV).

SPRING is designed to complement either the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for plants or the Crops for Processing (CfP) standard. It was created in collaboration with various stakeholders from the agricultural sector and covers a wide range of topics, including water utilization, extraction rates, adherence to legal regulations, protection of water sources, and sustainable watershed management. This add-on program allows producers to demonstrate their strong commitment to responsible water management and assists farms in enhancing their awareness of water issues and implementing more efficient farm-level water resource management.

SPRING v2 is designed to address significant environmental challenges related to water resources and offers innovative solutions to safeguard vulnerable water sources. Starting from January 1, 2024, SPRING v2 will be mandatory, replacing the previous version, v1.1-1.

How it works

• SPRING is applicable for a variety of crop farms, from individual producers (including smallholders) to producer groups and regardless of whether an irrigation system is in place or not.

• Designed to complement existing GLOBALG.A.P. certification, SPRING compli- ance is audited annually by accredited and independent third-party certification bodies (CBs) in combination with the IFA or CfP audit (however the initial SPRING audit may take place independently from the IFA or CfP audit).

• Producers can choose from any GLOBALG.A.P. approved CB active in the relevant country/region – the same CB which conducts your IFA/CfP audit must also conduct the SPRING audit.

• To pass a CB audit, producers must comply with 100% of the Major Must principles and criteria, and at least 75% of the Minor Must principles and criteria.

• A successful audit results in a letter of conformance valid for one year.