Listed agri-business firm Kakuzi Plc has received a global certification confirming that its avocado and blueberry farming operations adhere to sustainable approaches to water resources management.
The firm has received the “GLOBALG.A.P. SPRING” certificate of conformity, a farm-level certification that helps producers, retailers, and traders demonstrate their commitment to sustainable water management. Under the Sustainable Program for Irrigation and Groundwater use (SPRING) certification program, food system stakeholders are expected to provide evidence documenting their efforts to manage water risks and promote sustainable practices.
According to Kakuzi Plc managing director Chris Flowers, the firm received the certificate to add to its existing GLOBALG.A.P. “Good Agricultural Practices” accreditation.
“Following a series of intensive onsite audits undertaken by United Kingdom-based NSF Certification UK Ltd inspectors at the Kakuzi avocado and blueberry production sites in Murang’a county, the firm has secured the SPRING certificate of conformity which will remain active for the next one year,” Mr Flowers said.
He added that Kakuzi deploys advanced precision irrigation systems at its sites, including micro-sprinklers for avocado watering powered by an elaborate information technology system.
“We continue to bank on technology enabling water conservation and efficient agricultural production,” he said. Flowers said.
SPRING is a farm-level add-on that helps producers, retailers, and traders demonstrate their commitment to sustainable water management and can be implemented together with the GLOBALG.A.P. IFA (Integrated Farm Assurance) standard for Crops.
SPRING incorporates a wide range of criteria to assess sustainable water management on the farm, including legal conformity of water sources and extraction rates, monitoring of water consumption, the impact of producers on sustainable watershed management, best practices in water management, protection of water sources and measures to demonstrate continuous improvement of water management.
The SPRING add-on was originally developed by the Swiss retailer Coop in 2016 in collaboration with GLOBALG.A.P. The ownership of the standard was officially transferred to GLOBALG.A.P. in July 2019.
GLOBALG.A.P. is a brand of smart farm assurance solutions developed by FoodPLUS GmbH in Cologne, Germany, with cooperation from producers, retailers, and other stakeholders from across the food industry. These solutions include a range of standards for safe, socially and environmentally responsible farming practices.
The most widely used GLOBALG.A.P. standard is IFA, applicable to fruit and vegetables, aquaculture, floriculture, livestock, and more. This standard also forms the basis for the GGN label: The consumer label for certified, responsible farming and
transparency.
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