Normas voluntárias de sustentabilidade e investimentos na agricultura sustentável

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines how Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) can mitigate financial risks for financial service providers (FSPs) investing in agriculture in developing countries. By analyzing 12 VSS across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, the document identifies gaps in current standards—particularly regarding economic viability and climate adaptation—and provides recommendations for FSPs, VSS developers, and governments to catalyze investment in sustainable agriculture.

• Financial service providers (FSPs) often avoid investing in the agricultural sector of developing economies due to perceived risks, including climate change, market dynamics, and a lack of collateral. A 2019 IISD consultation with 51 agricultural investors identified agribusiness governance (73%), business management practices (68%), and climate change initiatives (56%) as highly important for risk reduction.
• Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) can reduce financial risks by requiring farmers to implement practices that protect the environment and social well-being. They can improve productivity and profitability by encouraging the adoption of sustainable production practices, business management, and the formation of associations to increase bargaining power.
• In the economic dimension, VSS show high coverage of criteria regarding compliance with laws and regulations, as well as sustainability planning and management. However, they have low to minimal coverage of criteria related to the prevention of corruption and bribery, transparency, and economic viability.
• Environmental criteria in VSS are strongly covered regarding water conservation, soil conservation, and forest conservation, including prohibitions on converting forests to farmland. Moderate coverage exists for biodiversity conservation and pesticide pollution, while climate adaptation and mitigation have low to minimal coverage.
• Socially, VSS demonstrate high coverage of labor rights (aligned with ILO conventions) and workplace health and safety. Moderate coverage is found for employer practices and indigenous rights, while community development and cultural preservation have low to minimal coverage.
• FSPs can integrate VSS into their operations by using them for ESG due diligence, structuring financial products (such as sustainability-linked loans), and pre-selecting beneficiaries based on risk-impact profiles. Examples include the Moringa Fund in Mali and the Mercon Group in Africa and Latin America.
• To improve farmer access to finance, VSS should develop criteria aligned with FSP requirements, such as detailed financial record-keeping, and move toward performance-based requirements rather than just practice-based ones. They are also encouraged to improve product traceability and support business diversification (e.g., agroforestry).
• Governments can support sustainable agricultural investment by securing land tenure (especially for women), promoting farmer organizations, providing infrastructure, and offering financial guarantees or climate-based insurance for VSS-compliant farmers.

APA

Larrea, C. (2023). Normas voluntárias de sustentabilidade e investimentos na agricultura sustentável. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-pt_1.pdf

Chicago

Larrea, Cristina. Normas voluntárias de sustentabilidade e investimentos na agricultura sustentável. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-pt_1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Larrea |first1=Cristina |title=Normas voluntárias de sustentabilidade e investimentos na agricultura sustentável |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-pt_1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{larrea2023normas, author = {Larrea, Cristina}, title = {{Normas voluntárias de sustentabilidade e investimentos na agricultura sustentável}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-pt_1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }