The growing regulatory demands in environmental matters have pushed the primary sector, like other industries, to elevate their control and verification systems. In this context, the Region of Murcia positions itself as a national benchmark in sustainable livestock production. Thanks to the joint work between TÜV SÜD and Adespofa, the Association for Sanitary Defense of Pig Farming in Fuente Álamo de Murcia, more than 150 pig farms have managed to demonstrate that they carry out their activity without contaminating the subsurface, strictly complying with their Integrated Environmental Authorization (AAI).
For years, TÜV SÜD has collaborated with Adespofa as an accredited laboratory and an authorized inspection entity, providing specialized technical support to the associated farms. This collaboration proved pivotal when authorities required proof that the manure storage ponds did not discharge pollutants onto the soil. In response to this challenge, TÜV SÜD intervened by verifying the ponds’ tightness through the inspection of piezometers located beside them, delivering robust technical evidence to the authorities.
“Our role is not only to measure or inspect, but to provide technical confidence to both the farms and the authorities. When there is continuous, independent, data-driven control, it is possible to demonstrate that livestock farming can be developed without compromising the environment,” says the Environmental Division of TÜV SÜD.
Law 3/2020: A Key Step Toward Sustainable Livestock Farming in Murcia
The enactment of Law 3/2020, effective July 27, on the recovery and protection of the Mar Menor, marked a milestone for livestock farms in the Region of Murcia. The regulation established new environmental requirements for productive sectors near the Mar Menor basin, with the aim of protecting the ecosystem and preventing subsurface contamination. The law obliged livestock farms to demonstrate that their activity does not affect the soil, with particular emphasis on manure-storage lagoons and the risk of leaching, one of the main environmental concerns.
As a result, the farms associated with Adespofa began implementing a rigorous system of control and verification, using piezometers and other measurement devices to ensure their activities do not impact the subsurface. Thanks to the support of TÜV SÜD, these farms present technical reports certifying compliance with the requirements established by the Segura Hydrographic Confederation (CHS) and the environmental authorities.
José Andrés García Cuestas, managing director of Adespofa, commented: “The enactment of Law 3/2020 posed a challenge, but also an opportunity to prove that livestock farming can be sustainable. With the help of TÜV SÜD, our members comply with the stringent environmental regulations and guarantee that their farms do not affect the subsurface. This collaboration has been essential in maintaining the trust of authorities and of the sector.”
The annual reports produced by TÜV SÜD, based on the precise measurement of leaching in the subsurface, are submitted to the Department of Water, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries as evidence of regulatory compliance and environmental protection. In addition, TÜV SÜD issues periodic certifications confirming that each farm meets the requirements set by its AAI, further strengthening the authorities’ trust and shielding farmers from potential penalties.
“Environmental certification and control have become strategic tools for the sector, as they provide objective data and demonstrate, with technical evidence, that farms are doing things right,” add TÜV SÜD.
“This project shows that sustainability is not a theoretical concept, but a measurable and verifiable practice. The model applied in Murcia is perfectly extrapolable to other territories and to other agro-food subsectors,” highlights TÜV SÜD.
This case demonstrates that environmental oversight in the primary sector requires technical rigor, independent certifications, and specialized external monitoring. Today, more than 150 Murcian farms produce without polluting their surroundings.
