Lessons and solutions

In our projects we work with partners to move to more sustainable water use.  Here we share practical lessons and solutions that we obtained while implementing our projects for example on the implementation of the AWS Water Stewardship Standard.

Parent Category: Knowledge sharing
Agricultural Water Stewardship in Latin America presents different challenges. Experiences using the Catchment Passport methodology provided key learnings on how to embark in an immediate and practical way in Water Stewardship at the catchment level.

It is positive that many organizations are willing to embrace Water Stewardship in their global value chains. However, taking this journey is a challenging task, as water stewards need to deeply understand local realities, engage and co-create long-term solutions with local stakeholders.

In the last years, we were lucky to work with dedicated partners such as the Nature's Pride Foundation, the Sustainable Trade Initiative/SIFAV and RVO, and gather important learnings in the application of the Catchment Passport. This methodology was used to scientifically depict and condense the water situation of Ica and Aconcagua catchments. This was subsequently shared and validated with local stakeholders and value chain partners, deriving key messages and actionable opportunities.

The experience provides a practical example of agri value chains engaging on “Water Stewardship in action”. Water Stewardship work in Ica and Aconcagua is just starting, these are long-term commitments. For now, we are pleased to openly share the experience so far, its outcomes and learnings, and would also love to hear your views on this topic!
 
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Parent Category: Knowledge sharing

On 11 June 2018, the Iberesparragal farm in Southern Spain received the gold certificate of the Alliance for Stewardship for the implementation of the Water Stewardship standard. Good Stuff International guided and supported the entire AWS standard implementation in the farm as part of a project carried out for the Alliance for Water Stewardship.

Photo: Reservoir in Andalusia, Spain

As it was the first (gold) certificate that AWS issued for an agricultural producer in Europe, the implementation has attracted a lot of interest from people that want to implement the AWS standard in an agricultural context. Many people have asked us questions about the practical approach that we took, the solutions that we generated and the lessons we learned.

Parent Category: Knowledge sharing

In working towards our mission we use an approach based on the principle that

Humans are an integral part of the Earth's ecosystems.

We live in these ecosystems, depend on them and change them.

Below we present a logical analysis of how this principle shapes our approach:

  1. Humans are an integral part of Earth's ecosystems1;

  2. Human life is dependent on Earth's ecosystems2;

  3. Humans use Earth's ecosystems and Earth's mineral resources to live3;

  4. This collective human use is changing Earth's ecosystems4.

  5. The change in Earth's ecosystems has direct and indirect negative effects on the lives of humans especially on marginalised people5.

  6. Humans need to act on the changes in Earth's ecosystems6

  7. Humans act under influence of a wide range of agents7, these are:

    • Social, cultural and ethical;

    • Political, legal and institutional;

    • Economical and financial;

    • Technical, scientific and educational;

    • Artistic and spiritual.

  8. In our services, we employ our techical expertise in water and environment and the agents framework, to analyse and design mechanisms to achieve positive change for people and the environment.

 

Click here to read more about the framework

 

 

Notes:

1An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving (abiotic), physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight. ”Biology Concepts & Connections Sixth Edition”, Campbell, Neil A. (2009), page 2, 3 and G-9. Retrieved 2011-10-04 Wikipedia. Taking this definition, we are definitely part of several ecosystems on earth.

2Just consider the oxygen that we breathe. It is part of the atmospheric oxygen cycle. The main source of oxygen in the cycle is photosynthesis by plant life and phytoplankton.

3It is entirely clear that we are using Earth's natural and mineral resources, just look around you, see the wood, bricks, food stuffs, metals in your house, office, street.

4There are many indicators that depict the changes in Earth's ecosystems, see biodiversity loss, ecosytems services loss, carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, forest loss, fish stock decline, etc. See the post on global environmental indicators here.

5Examples are the increased desertification and loss of productive lands, the increased water scarcity and salinity having impacts on crop yields, pollution and associated health issues, the impact of droughts on food security and water availability, etc.

6Maybe the best example is climate change, the majority of nations around the world now underwrite climate change as being real and see the need to act.

7Humans are complex in what they can do and how they do it, there many things, rational or irrational that influence behaviour.