Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness

The Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness is a management and reference tool developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Cerise+SPTF. It is designed to help agribusinesses, agricultural value-chain actors, and SMEs assess their compliance with internationally recognised responsible business practices, specifically aligning with the CFS-RAI Principles and IFC Performance Standards.

• The tool's primary objective is to translate high-level, generic frameworks—specifically the principles on responsible investment in the agricultural and food systems (CFS-RAI Principles) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards—into a practical framework based on business functions and operational structures.
• The RAI Tool evaluates agribusinesses across seven key dimensions: Strategy and accountability on responsible agriculture; Inclusive and transparent structure; Safe and responsible agriculture and food systems and operations; Environmentally sustainable processes and products; Responsible treatment of stakeholders; Responsible human resource development; and Financial transparency and benefit-sharing.
• The tool is structured as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet consisting of five sections: an ID Card for profile information, Scoping Questions to filter relevant indicators, a Practices section for assessment, an Outcomes section for output and outcome indicators, and two Dashboard tabs for result visualisation.
• The recommended assessment process consists of three phases: Preparation (including desk reviews and management meetings), Field visits/interviews (including triangulation with stakeholders like farmers and local communities), and Feedback (sharing results and building an action plan).
• To ensure objective results and avoid overestimating scores, the guidance recommends the '3P approach' for triangulating evidence, which involves verifying claims through Practice (observation), Paper (documentation), and People (interviews).
• The tool is intended as a management instrument rather than a rating tool, focusing on identifying gaps to build an action plan. It suggests that standards with scores below 50% should be addressed, prioritising 'quick wins', risk management, and alignment with the business's strategic plan.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2024). Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/responsible-agricultural-investment-tool-agribusiness-guidance.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness. 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/responsible-agricultural-investment-tool-agribusiness-guidance.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness |date=July 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/responsible-agricultural-investment-tool-agribusiness-guidance.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2024responsible, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-07/responsible-agricultural-investment-tool-agribusiness-guidance.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }