The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) is a global collaboration between businesses, NGOs and the public sector focused on the sustainability of local water resources.
AWS Members drive, recognize and reward good water stewardship by adopting and promoting a universal framework for the sustainable use of water – The International Water Stewardship Standard, or AWS Standard. The AWS Standard offers a credible, globally applicable framework for water users to understand their own water use and impacts. It provides the tools for transparent collaboration with others to implement sustainable water management practices across the wider water catchment. By following the steps and guidance in the AWS Standard implementers are improving site water performance and contributing to global sustainability goals.
The German food retailer EDEKA is dedicated to making positive impacts on the environment and ensuring the sustainability of its food supply chains. EDEKA has partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to achieve its environmental goals, including applying the AWS Standard to drive good water stewardship practices. As part of this commitment, the partners decided to work with Dole Food Company, one of the largest producers of fruit and vegetables in the world and a key supplier to EDEKA, to implement the AWS Standard on 11 privately owned banana farms in Colombia managed by CI Técnicas Baltime de Colombia S.A (Tecbaco).