Samenvatting

Nowadays, consumers’ desire and to be consciously involved in food production procedures is driven not only in terms of food quality but also by farmers' and employees' welfare. Furthermore, having this knowledge has become crucial in consumers’ purchasing pattern behaviour. A group of Colombian farmers and their European business partners are interested in improving the organic market position of both enterprises and understand that certifications are key when obtaining more substantial recognition in the market. Furthermore, clients have expressed interest in Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) at a meeting earlier this year. Considering the potential market opportunity for both European and Colombian stakeholders as well as their previous expertise in successfully obtaining other certificates that are comparatively applicable to AWS, this research will explore the stakeholders’ path to obtain a certification based on the acquisition process of the AWS. The main objective of this research is to find what is the feasibility in the implementation of a water certificate such as the Alliance for water stewardship?