Image of a large-scale vegetable farm during irrigation

Add-on to core solution

Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use

The Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use (SPRING) is an add-on that addresses responsible water management at farm level. It is designed to be paired with the Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard for plants.

Demonstrating commitment to sustainable water management

What is SPRING?

The Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use (SPRING) add-on helps producers, supply chain stakeholders, and buyers to demonstrate their commitment to more responsible on-farm water stewardship. The robust and comprehensive checklist covers a wide range of topics such as water use and extraction rates, legal compliance and protection of water sources, and watershed management. Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) for fruit and vegetables plus the SPRING add-on is benchmarked to the Sustainability Initiative Fruit and Vegetables’ (SIFAV) Basket of Water Standards, and SPRING v2 is recognized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Spain as among the top farm-level water certification options. The add-on is tried, tested, and trusted in over 25 countries worldwide.

Infographic of a world map showing countries with SPRING implementation

SPRING at a glance

Document 1, Document, checklist, add-on
Audited in combination

with the IFA standard to minimize the audit burden

Water 1, Water, SPRING, conservation, resource use, efficiency, sustainability
Supports legal compliance

with criteria on land use, flow rates, watershed stakeholders, and water source identification

Water 2, Water, SPRING, conservation, resource use, efficiency, irrigation
Applicable for farms

with or without irrigation, and in regions with or without water scarcity issues

Farm 2, Farm, producer agriculture, plants, crops
Offers a cost-effective audit

for a wide range of farm sizes and types, including smallholders and producer groups

Globe 3, Globe, worldwide, network, implementation
Implemented worldwide

with a global network of approved CBs and auditors trained on local water use legislation

Benchmarking 1, Benchmarking, harmonization, alignment, basket of standards
Recognized by WWF Spain

and benchmarked to the SIFAV Basket of Water Standards for good water management

Which topics does the SPRING add-on address?

The SPRING add-on was developed through extensive collaboration between value chain stakeholders, NGOs, and GLOBALG.A.P. technical experts. Our approach to standard setting ensures that GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions remain robust, realistic, and cost-efficient, while meeting the evolving demands of buyer

Core topics in SPRING v2 are divided into four sections, including: 

Assessment of water risks and objectives 

  • Water risk assessment for farms and produce handling units

  • Documented overview of water stakeholders in the watershed

  • Water management plan

  • Staff training
     

Assessment of legal compliance

  • Current legal requirements and land use

  • Documentation of flow rates

  • Buildings and water infrastructure

  • Identification of water sources
     

Management and use of water resources

  • Water distribution and irrigation plan

  • Water measurement system and consumptions records

  • Sustainable governance of watershed

  • Rainwater recovery and storage
     

Environmental management: Protecting water sources

  • Wastewater management

  • Natural surface water and biodiversity protection

  • Erosion mitigation

  • Energy efficiency assessment

Discover how the SPRING add-on helps you to address challenges in the agricultural sector.

Image of a producer growing lettuce

Who should use SPRING?

SPRING is applicable to a wide variety of farm types. Even for producers who do not irrigate crops, it is a valuable tool for demonstrating the responsible management of water risks (such as the protection of nearby water sources).

The add-on offers affordable audit options for both individual producers and multisite producer groups, including smallholders, and farms can get certified in any country where a GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification body (CB) conducts audits.

SPRING must be combined with certification to IFA for plants (fruit and vegetables, flowers and ornamentals, hops, or combinable crops). Please note that producers with parallel ownership are only permitted to implement SPRING under group certification (option 2).

How does SPRING work?

  • Compliance with the add-on requirements is audited annually by an accredited and independent third-party CB in combination with the IFA audit (or an audit to a benchmarked scheme/checklist).

  • Producers have the freedom to choose which CB they use (although it must be the same CB conducting both audits).

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

  • The relevant national interpretation guidelines (NIGs) are required from January 2025.

Standard content is formed of principles and criteria (P&Cs). Criteria are graded in three levels: Major Must and Minor Must.

Principles

  • Fundamentals that set the foundation of a GLOBALG.A.P. requirement

  • Written in statement form

  • Describe the outcome to achieve in the corresponding criteria

Criteria

  • Methods that producers can use to demonstrate a principle to be true

  • Compliance can be demonstrated in different ways, e.g., data, record of procedure, etc.

  • Evidence must demonstrate that the outcome is achieved

Read more about the audit process and compliance requirements.

Infographic showing the principles and criteria of the Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater Use version 2

How is conformance status verified?

Every producer registered in the GLOBALG.A.P. certification system is assigned a 13-digit GLOBALG.A.P. identification number (e.g., a GLOBALG.A.P. Number (GGN)). This number allows real-time verification of conformance status in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems, upholding our rigorous transparency requirements throughout the supply chain.

Producers can control data access and privacy rights for audit reports, and the reports are not shared publicly or with third parties. This process is handled via your chosen CB.

Latest news

A promotional banner advertising a new series of GLOBALG.A.P. videos tackling the topic of risk assessments.

27 February 2024

Launch of new educational video series on risk assessments

The free e-learning tool, launched in February 2024, aims to support producers and trainers in understanding on-farm risk assessments.

Capacity building
Fruit and vegetables
Plants
Core solutions
Aquaculture
Flowers and ornamentals
Stakeholders holding signs related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the GLOBALG.A.P. booth at Fruit Logistica 2024 in Berlin.

26 February 2024

An impactful Fruit Logistica 2024

Fruit Logistica 2024 provided the stage for tens of thousands of individuals from across the fresh produce supply chain to connect, network, and discover the latest developments and innovations in the industry.

Plants
Fruit and vegetables
Core solutions
Add-ons to core solutions
Environmental sustainability
Food safety
Workers’ well-being

Looking for technical news?

Technical news updates for all add-ones can be found in our technical news libraries.

Demonstrate responsible farm-level water stewardship

Why choose SPRING?

According to the FAO, 70% of the world's freshwater resources are now used for agriculture. As pressure on this limited resource grows, agricultural supply chains urgently require solutions for managing water scarcity, monitoring responsible water use, and mitigating water risks. The SPRING add-on offers a practical, cost-effective path for producers to implement and demonstrate farm-level best practices that comply with legal requirements and contribute to the sustainability of surrounding ecosystems.

Which challenges does SPRING address in the agricultural sector?

  • Water risks in primary agriculture are receiving increasing attention.

  • In the context of a rapidly growing global population and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, water scarcity and food security are deeply interconnected.

  • As a result, sector transformation is increasingly expected by both civil society and major retail and food production chains – highlighting the need for coordinated action from all stakeholders.

  • Industry solutions are therefore needed to monitor and demonstrate how agricultural enterprises promote and enhance responsible water management at farm level.

  • The SPRING add-on is an affordable solution for a range of farms with Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) certification for plants, complementing rather than competing with existing audit systems.

Follow our five steps to SPRING to get started today.

SPRING in numbers (as of 31/12/2022)

Producer 1, Producer, farmer, stakeholder, supply chain, farm-level, smallholder
5,869

producers assessed

Globe 3, Globe, worldwide, network, implementation
27

countries with assessed production

Farm 1, Farm, producer, agriculture, plants, crops
306,679

hectares of production covered

Image of a farmer maintaining an irrigation system in a field

What are the benefits for producers?

  • Identify and mitigate water risks in agricultural supply chains

  • Improve efficiency of water use and implement practical steps for the optimization of water management

  • Develop effective management plans and demonstrate their on-farm implementation

  • Implement an outcome-based and scientifically sound methodology which recognizes farm-specific realities

  • Complements environmental sustainability criteria in the IFA standard with a dedicated focus on water management

  • Offers a cost-effective audit process which improves transparency and risk monitoring in value chains

  • Available globally for a wide range of farm sizes, including smallholders and producer groups

  • Allows producers to choose from an extensive worldwide network of accredited GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs

Image of fresh fruit and vegetable produce in a retail store

What are the benefits for supply chain stakeholders?

  • Fulfil corporate social responsibility pledges through a fit-for-purpose solution designed by the sector, for the sector

  • Have confidence in a solution supported by relevant civil society stakeholders such as WWF Spain and aligned with both the Sustainability Initiative Fruit and Vegetables (SIFAV) the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  • Boost transparency and risk monitoring, and encourage continuous improvement at farm level

  • Help reduce the audit burden for producers by building on existing water management criteria in the IFA standard and supporting combined audits

  • Benefit from simplified verification through a combination of flexible farm assurance solutions accessible in a single certification system – including other sustainability solutions such as the BioDiversity and Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainabilityadd-ons

  • Take advantage of GLOBALG.A.P. capacity building services to accelerate transformation in your supply chains

Image of a person assembling wooden blocks that represent the activities of the GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program

Maintaining trust in GLOBALG.A.P. certification

The GLOBALG.A.P. Integrity Program was founded in 2008 as the first of its kind in food certification. Designed to ensure the consistent delivery and implementation of GLOBALG.A.P. standards and add-ons worldwide, the program monitors and assesses all aspects of the third-party certification process.

Which solutions can be combined with SPRING?

The SPRING add-on is designed to be paired with IFA certification. Audits are combined, allowing producers to flexibly and efficiently extend their certification scope through a single audit.

Learn more about GLOBALG.A.P. core solutions.

You may also be interested in...

Icon for Integrated Farm Assurance for fruit and vegetables
Integrated Farm Assurance for fruit and vegetables

IFA is a global standard for safe and responsible farming practices in fruit and vegetable production.

Icon for Integrated Farm Assurance for flowers and ornamentals
Integrated Farm Assurance for flowers and ornamentals

IFA is a global standard for safe and responsible farming practices in flower and ornamental production.

Icon for Integrated Farm Assurance for hops
Integrated Farm Assurance for hops

IFA is a global standard for safe and responsible farming practices in hop production.

young woman pressing high tech virtual G button

Ready to get started?

Use our Smart Checklist Builder to easily understand which GLOBALG.A.P. smart farm assurance solutions are recommended for your production practices and generate a personalized checklist for your self-assessment.

Your guide to implementation

How to prepare for a SPRING audit

Learn more about the key documents and fee structure of the SPRING add-on. Follow our five steps to SPRING guide for an overview of the audit process and find a GLOBALG.A.P. approved certification body (CB) in your area to get started.

Implementation and CB audit process

How does the audit process work?

  • Designed to complement existing GLOBALG.A.P. certification, SPRING compliance is audited annually by accredited and independent third-party CBs in combination with the IFA audit.

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

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

  • The CB is responsible for uploading the audit report and maintaining the accuracy of producer data in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems.

  • Producers must undergo an on-site audit each year as part of the renewal process.

Which documents are required?

  • General regulations specifications: Rules that define how the audit process works, from the scope of the respective standard to the audit requirements.

  • Principles and criteria: Principles are the fundamentals for GLOBALG.A.P. requirements for each standard. They describe the outcome to achieve, and are accompanied by corresponding criteria that detail the various ways in which a producer can demonstrate compliance.

  • Checklist: The full list of add-on criteria as used by CB auditors, enabling producers to perform a self-assessment in preparation for the on-site audit.

Which version of SPRING is currently valid?

SPRING is currently in transition from version 1.1-1 to version 2. There are two valid versions available for audit:

  • V2 was published on 5 September 2023. It becomes obligatory to combine with IFA v6 Smart/GFS on 1 January 2024.

  • V1.1-1 was published in February 2020, becoming obligatory in May 2020. It remains available for combination with IFA v5.4-1-GFS until IFA v6 GFS becomes obligatory. It also remains available to combine with IFA v5.2 for combinable crops and for plant propagation material.

The SPRING FAQs contain more information on documents, certification renewal, and more.

Image of a certification body auditor conducting an assessment of an irrigation system

What are the SPRING compliance requirements?

Checklist principles are graded in three categories: Major Musts, Minor Musts, or Recommendations.

  • 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.

  • Corrective actions must be proposed for all non-compliances and submitted to the CB within the specified period.

  • Non-compliances must then be verified as corrected and compliant by the CB before a letter of conformance can be issued.

How much does a SPRING audit cost?

Each farm is unique, and the total costs of assessment depend on a combination of factors such as farm size, number of sites, location, necessary preparation measures (such as establishing new procedures), and more. In general, SPRING contains three cost elements:

  1. Implementation costs: Incurred by producers to prepare for the CB audit

  2. CB service fees: Determined and invoiced by the CB to cover audit time and travel costs

  3. GLOBALG.A.P. license fee: Calculated based on audit option

The GLOBALG.A.P. fee table contains full information on the fee structure for each solution.

Five steps to SPRING

Close up of hands typing on a laptop

You will need the GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations, the SPRING principles and criteria, and the checklist. All of the required documents are available online, for free, and in multiple languages. They are linked below and can also be found in the document center.

Young farmer conducting a self-assessment with the help of a Registered Trainer

Use the documents to guide the implementation of the add-on requirements, and then
conduct a self-assessment using the checklist. Our worldwide network of Registered Trainers
can also provide assistance during audit preparations.

Farmer planning their audit request over the phone with their chosen CB

Search the list of GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs by region, country, scope, and status. Contact the CB of your choice and request an audit. Note that the GLOBALG.A.P. fee table does not cover CB service fees such as audit time or travel costs to your site.

Flower producer being audited

The CB will perform the on-site audit and upload the results to Audit Online Hub. Any non-compliances which are detected during the audit must be corrected within the specified period and verified by the CB before a letter of conformance can be issued.

Product farmer after receiving their certificate

When all requirements are met and verified by the CB, they will issue your GLOBALG.A.P. letter of conformance. Your certification status is then publicly visible in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems for transparency in the market.

Key documents

The three most relevant documents are linked below. Click ‘view more’ to see further related documents. Remember to always check with your CB that you have all necessary documents prior to audit.

SPRING

Checklists

V2

English | Last updated: 11/03/2024

xlsx

Checklists are documents containing standard/add-on principles and criteria which are used during the audit/assessment to check whether compliance is achieved. They may also be used to conduct self-assessments.

SPRING

Principles and criteria

V2

English | Last updated: 11/03/2024

pdf

Principles and criteria are a complete list of the requirements for a given standard or add-on. The foundational requirements each detail an outcome that must be achieved, and the corresponding ways in which compliance can be demonstrated.

SPRING

GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations

V2

English | Last updated: 11/03/2024

pdf

GLOBALG.A.P. general regulations outline the framework of the certification system, including the role and relationship of the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat and certification bodies, and provide context for implementing checklist content.

Find a certification body to conduct your audit

All GLOBALG.A.P. approved CBs are listed on our CB web page.

Image of producers receiving a farm tour during a capacity-building training program

Capacity building

Need assistance with the certification process? Our capacity-building program offers a range of options for training, consultation, and more!

Upcoming events

11 Mar - 15 Mar

2024

Academy training: IFA v6 for fruit and vegetables in English

Location: Online
Event type: Academy course
Event format: Virtual

Capacity building
Fruit and vegetables
Plants
Core solutions
Food safety

16 Apr - 17 Apr

2024

GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR stop South Africa 2024

Location: Paarl
Event type: GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR stop
Event format: On-site

Aquaculture
Plants
Fruit and vegetables

A brief history of SPRING

2016–2019

The SPRING add-on is originally developed by the Swiss retailer Coop in collaboration with the GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat in 2016. This is revised for the version 1.1 update published in April 2018, with the add-on then officially transferred into the GLOBALG.A.P. portfolio in July 2019. By the end of that year, there are 168 assessed producers in six countries.

2020–2021

The add-on is updated again with v1.1-1 in February 2020, becoming obligatory in May 2020. By the end of the year, there are 1,019 producers in eight countries holding a SPRING letter of conformance – an increase of over 500% on the previous year, displaying the rapidly growing market demand for sustainable water management. By the end of 2021, this number of assessed producers doubles to 2,184 across 20 countries.

2022–2023

There are 5,869 producers across 27 countries audited to SPRING by the end of 2022, covering over 300,000 hectares of crop production. The revision process for v2 begins, with the aim of aligning the add-on with the smarter, streamlined, and outcome-oriented approach of the new IFA v6. This update includes benchmarking to the Sustainable Initiative Fruit and Vegetables (SIFAV) for their Basket of Water Standards, as well as extensive collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Spain in both developing the add-on content as well as implementing capacity-building activities. SPRING v2 is published in September 2023.

2024–2025

SPRING v2 becomes obligatory in January 2024.

FAQ

SPRING v2 FAQ

Image of a customer support agent advising a stakeholder

Contact us

For technical/interpretation questions, please contact us at standard_support@globalgap.org.

For questions about the audit process or GLOBALG.A.P. IT systems, please contact us at customer_support@globalgap.org.