S21 - Session P2 - Implementation of the AWS standard in biodynamic smallholder banana plantations

Authors: Laure-Anne Menke *

The river basin Cuenca Rio Yaque del Norte, located in the northwest of the Dominican Republic, through its main river Rio Yaque del Norte, supplies water to irrigate banana plantations, an important water-demanding production. Banana growers, and particularly small-scale producers, are exposed to water availability and quality problems caused by several factors: basin degradation and deforestation, inappropriate agricultural practices and policies, poor governance, and climate change impacts. The vulnerability of smallholder banana producers to these events is compounded by their lack of economic resources, knowledge of their water use, access to the necessary infrastructure and the inadequate water distribution system on which they depend. Within this framework, 5 biodynamic banana organisations, including the small producer cooperative Banelino and 4 companies, are implementing the AWS sustainable water management standard in several plantations, starting March 2021. These organisations implementing the AWS standard define their objectives to reach sustainable water management practices and decide about the actions they are going to implement in their own plantations and in the common river basin (to reach the water sustainability outcomes defined by AWS regarding water quality, water balance, water governance, important water related areas and sanitation and hygiene conditions). This study through field surveys and interviews sought to understand the smallholders water management practices, strategies, water management constraints and hurdles through The data collection assessed the required AWS Standards related to water management in the plantations and the basin. Secondly, the study aimed to guide banana farmers towards a more sustainable and responsible water management through the development and implementation of a sustainable water management plan. The study inventoried water management practices by small-scale biodynamic banana producers (water use, water quality management, challenges and opportunities related to water management, strategies to improve resilience...) and developed a sustainable water management plan to be implemented by the smallholder farmers.