Towards Responsible Business Conduct in Agribusinesses (RAI Tool)
Join IISD and Cerise+SPTF to build a standard assessment tool on responsible business conduct in agribusinesses.
Agribusinesses, in particular when they work with smallholder farmers and impact local communities, can play a critical role in achieving food security and improved nutrition (SDG 2), providing equal economic opportunities (SDG 1), offering inclusive and decent work (SDG 8), and promoting climate-smart, biodiversity-sensitive agricultural practices (SDG 13 and 15). To achieve such outcomes, agribusinesses need to make sure that they align their policies, procedures, and operations with best practices of responsible business conduct.
In 2021, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Cerise+SPTF decided to work on developing the Responsible Agricultural Investment Tool for Agribusiness (RAI Tool), a management tool to help agribusinesses and agricultural value-chain actors align with international standards such as the CFS-RAI Principles and IFC Performance Standards. Building on the experience of Social and Environmental Performance Management in the inclusive finance industry, the RAI Tool has been structured along 7 Dimensions, specifying concrete practices to be implemented by agribusinesses in responsible strategy, inclusive and transparent structure, food safety and food security, environmental sustainability, responsible treatment of stakeholders, responsible Human Resources development, and financial responsibility.
The tool has been field tested and refined throughout 2022 to 2024, in particular as part of the SSNUP program (case studies below!).
IISD and Cerise+SPTF are convinced that the RAI tool holds the potential to become a reference tool for the entire agriculture and food sector, helping investors and agribusinesses ensure that they conduct their business in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Establishing the RAI Tool as a reference for the sector requires wide testing, collection of feedback from the field, and continuous alignment with lessons learned. This is why IISD and Cerise+SPTF now invite other stakeholders to join the initiative!
Different stakeholders can contribute to testing and developing the RAI Tool:
- Investors can apply the tool for due diligence of investments in agricultural value chain actors.
- Agricultural value chain actors can use the tool as a self-assessment to evaluate their strengths and gaps in responsible business conduct.
Interested in testing the RAI Tool?
Download our guidance below and get access to the tool and a report template on IISD website.
Client Protection in the agricultural sector
In collaboration with IDH Farmfit Fund, Cerise+SPTF is also working on a standard client protection assessment tool for the agricultural sector. Find out more and join the project!
RAI Case Studies
Discover the series of RAI Tool-based case studies on agricultural value chain actors conducted by the IISD and ADA (Aide au Développement Autonome).
Video | LIMBUA Testimony
LIMBUA is a Kenyan processing and marketing enterprise in the fruit and nut sector. In this video, LIMBUA presents its experience using the RAI Tool and how it helped the enterprise become a more responsible and sustainable business.
Webinar | Launch of the Case Studies
Organized by ADA and IISD on September 26th, 2024, his webinar presented the main findings of the case studies.
Webinar | Launch of the RAI Tool
Hosted on July 10th, 2024, this webinar introduced the new RAI Tool for Agribusiness to potential users and explored opportunities to promote its uptake.
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