Syngenta, with the aim of developing the best agricultural practices and their commitment to being environmentally sustainable, continue collaborating with SuizAgua Colombia, a project by the Swiss Embassy and managed by COSUDE (the Swiss Cooperation Office Colombia), which Sygenta and other three Swiss firms make use of to evaluate their water footprint.
Water footprint reduction is a key issue in the company's strategy, adopting methods to evaluate the use of water and reduce some of the pressure on hydric resources. Syngenta and SuizAgua also support social responsibility projects focused on water, mainly in the surrounding communities suffering from the influence of the production plant located in Mamonal, Bolívar, Colombia.
The ISO standard on water footprint
SuizAgua's overall objective is to reduce the water footprint of companies and Colombian consumers alike through the development of a legally applicable "water footprint" scheme, followed by a promotion for its implementation and a study on its implications for public policy. The project hopes to achieve results that will be imitated by other Colombian firms, as well as by other Latin American countries. Other goals are to share the best practices and contribute to the development and practical application of the "water footprint" scheme worldwide.
As part of this project, COSUDE is co-financing the development of an ISO standard about water footprint. This idea was proposed by the Swiss Association for Standardization and approved by ISO members.
Source: Syngenta