Spain is the largest producer of fresh fruits and vegetables in the European Union. Despite highly efficient production, 80% of the total water in consumed in Spain was used for agricultural irrigation in 2021 and many farms across the country are facing high water risk relating to water quantity and quality. In addition, they face complex challenges ranging from water supply to overall ecosystem health, which require collective action. By adopting a robust water stewardship strategy, agricultural producers in Spain can work towards more resilient catchments.

To help advance water stewardship in the region, AWS has launched a new resource, ‘Water stewardship: Understanding the agricultural landscape in Spain’. It was developed by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) in partnership with EDEKA and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to help address an important knowledge gap identified through the AWS Agriculture Working Group and drive a collective approach to water stewardship in Spain.

This comprehensive, easy-to-use resource explains the differences between water management and water stewardship, and provides a step-by-step look at the AWS Standard. It also signposts to useful sources of data and gives examples of good practice to help water stewardship implementers to take action and develop a water stewardship plan.

‘Water stewardship: Understanding the agricultural landscape in Spain’ was prepared by Good Stuff International (GSI), on behalf of AWS, drawing on their experience working with the AWS System and on water stewardship activities in Spain.