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 or the Crops for Processing (CfP) standard.
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.
SPRING at a glance
Audited in combination
with the IFA standard or CfP standard to minimize the audit burden
Supports legal compliance
with criteria on land use, flow rates, watershed stakeholders, and water source identification
Applicable for farms
with or without irrigation, and in regions with or without water scarcity issues
Offers a cost-effective audit
for a wide range of farm sizes and types, including smallholders and producer groups
Implemented worldwide
with a global network of approved CBs and auditors trained on local water use legislation
Recognized by WWF Spain
and benchmarked to the SIFAV Basket of Water Standards for good water management
Audited in combination
with the IFA standard or CfP standard to minimize the audit burden
Offers a cost-effective audit
for a wide range of farm sizes and types, including smallholders and producer groups
Supports legal compliance
with criteria on land use, flow rates, watershed stakeholders, and water source identification
Implemented worldwide
with a global network of approved CBs and auditors trained on local water use legislation
Applicable for farms
with or without irrigation, and in regions with or without water scarcity issues
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 .
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) or CfP. 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/CfP 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, Minor Must, and Recommendations.
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 .
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
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GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat and Paripassu hold successful TOUR stop in Brazil
October’s two-day TOUR stop Brazil saw 250 agriculture sector producers, retailers, and service providers in attendance to discuss their experiences with GLOBALG.A.P. standards.
29 November 2023
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