A consortium of retailers and environmental groups have called for urgent action to stop what it claims are unsustainable water practices by Spanish strawberry growers which threaten one of Europe's most important wetlands.

The Doñana Strawberry and Sustainable Water Management Group claims current practices will lead to severe environmental damage to ecosystems in the Doñana National Park region in Andalusia.

The Group has the backing of major European retailers including Albert Heijn, Coop, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Migros, Edeka, as well as environmental groups like WWF Spain and the Ramsar Convention.

The majority of Spain's strawberry production is in Doñana and it's one of the most important regions for retailers to source the fruit. Exports are worth approximately €400 million (US$443 million) per year.

The Andalusia regional government's Land Use Plan (designed to define where certain activities can take place and minimize human impact on the environment) was approved in December 2014, but still has not been implemented in the region and so unsustainable water practices continue.

Part of the proposal includes destroying 1,500 hectares of unauthorized strawberry cultivation and promoting better water management systems.

According to the Doñana Strawberry and Sustainable Water Management Group, although the growth of berry production in the region has significantly added to the economic value of the area by creating jobs and export-ready crops, it is having a detrimental impact on water resources.

"We believe that without measures taken, continued pressure will ultimately lead to severe environmental degradation of the ecosystem and in particular the Doñana National Park, as well as to a reduction in the long-term availability of strawberries from the region," a statement says.

"We strongly support the Land Use Plan issued by the Government of Andalusia and urge all parties involved to cooperate on its urgently needed implementation.

"To protect these water resources while securing the very continuation of strawberry production and associated jobs in the Doñana region, urgent work is needed in the form of improving water governance, implementing and enforcing laws, and adopting sustainable and efficient water management practices."

European retailers and food companies are increasingly concerned about their food supply chains and sourcing produce in a sustainable way that does not damage the environment.

The eco-system of the Doñana region, which supports thousands of migratory birds and the endangered Iberian lynx and Spanish imperial eagle, has been under constant threat by the draining of the marshes and the use of river water to boost production.

"For companies in our group, the Land Use Plan creates the legal clarity and certainty we need to ensure successful and legally compliant businesses operations.

"In addition, it helps us to show increasingly environmentally conscious consumers that we source our strawberries sustainably. This will in turn also further improve the good image of Spanish strawberries in other countries."

There have been pilot projects where Doñana strawberries have been grown using significantly less water whilst still retaining high yield and quality.

The Doñana Strawberry and Sustainable Water Management Group is planning a program involving producer organizations and research institutes to scale up these practices across the farming region.

"We invite all farmers and all other parties interested in hearing more about growing strawberries economically with reduced water to get in touch with our group.

"We acknowledge that implementing the Land Use Plan also brings concerns and anxiety about its impact on individual farmers' lives and futures.

"Implementing the plan cannot happen in isolation and has to take into consideration long-term socio-economic interests."

www.freshfruitportal.com