Diagnostic Tool: engaging the private sector for responsible agricultural investments

This Tool is intended to help members and facilitators of multi-stakeholder platforms and multi actor partnerships to understand what they know about private-sector agricultural investment in their countries. It is intended to be used in conjunction with the ‘Guidance on engaging the private sector in responsible agricultural investments for people-centred land governance’, as tools for learning, practical assessment, and planning.

Intended uses and users of the tool

The Tool is for use in practical learning and development contexts. These include structured learning programmes or real-time learning cycles linked to practical planning and action, involving people from multiple countries, or in processes of self- directed or externally assisted remote learning. It can also be adapted for use in ways that combine elements of structured and self-directed learning.

The primary user group for the Tool is members and stakeholders of MSP/MAP initiatives, especially those facilitating or convening wider stakeholder engagement on RAI and land issues. Although most will be from civil society organisations, participants also include people from government, academia and the private sector.

How to use the tool

The Tool is set out in a modular questionnaire style format so that users can complete it by themselves, step by step, working individually or in groups, and with access to guidance and resource materials to help increase users’ information and understanding of the various topic, and to facilitate ‘real-time’ use of the tool in learning how to conduct a situation analysis and engage with the private sector in promoting RAI.

Module A: Mapping private-sector agricultural investments

Map a range of private-sector agricultural investments of different types and in different crop sectors in your country.

Module B: Knowledge of the impacts of and issues with private-sector agricultural investments in relation to the RAI principles

Explore and analyse the impacts of large-scale agricultural investments and other types of investments in your country.

Module C: The policy, legal and business environment for responsible investment at country level

Establish an overview of the relevant policy, legal, institutional and organisational aspects of the environment in which agricultural investment takes place, and the extent to which these enable or constrain RAI.

Module D: Knowledge and understanding of the private sector and private sector processes

Compile what you know about the private sector itself, who the investors are, investment practices and standards adopted, and the opportunities for RAI - considering knowledge and information gaps.

Each module contains an introduction to the main topics covered, a series of questions to respond to and tables to be completed by using information available to or that can be gathered relatively easily by users.