Miscellaneous Knowledge Notes
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Publication
Introduction to Responsible Agricultural Investment
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)The United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) - World Bank knowledge into action note series is a compendium of practical, thematic guidance documents for use by governments, investors, and other stakeholders in the implementation of responsible agricultural investment principles. This document provides background to the knowledge into action note series and the underlying research; it also explains the logic, structure, and sequence of the notes, and suggests some guidance for their use. -
Publication
Public Transparency
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on the type of information about agricultural investments that investors and governments can make publicly available. Transparency about certain aspects of investments can improve relations between investors and communities, enable external stakeholders to hold investors to commitments, and improve investors’ public image. Although some information should be kept private to protect commercial interests, in general the amount of publicly available information is insufficient for transparent, accountable conduct of agricultural investments. This has often led to fear, mistrust, and resentment, and created operational and financial difficulties for investors. Some investors and governments have recently shifted toward a more transparent approach, but the risk of misuse of information needs to be managed. -
Publication
Water Access and Management
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on how to ensure that the impact of agricultural investments on water resources is effectively measured, monitored, and regulated. Water is essential to agricultural production and processing, and has been a driving factor in private and public decisions on where to locate investments. Despite global concerns about water scarcity and pollution, the water use of agricultural investments is in many cases not rigorously measured, monitored, or regulated. Where regulations exist, enforcement is often weak. Some investors improve local water access with community development programs, but such schemes require consultation and careful management. -
Publication
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on the conduct of environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) and the implementation of associated environmental and social management plans (ESMPs). Crop and livestock production, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture all depend on the use of land, water, and other natural resources that are inextricably linked to rural livelihoods, social systems, values, and culture. ESIAs and ESMPs are key tools for identifying and assessing social and environmental risks and benefits at the planning stage of an investment, and for building risk mitigation measures into project design and implementation. Although usually legislative requirements, too often they have been treated as box-ticking exercises. There remainssignificant room for improvement in the conduct of assessment and the rigor with which findings are incorporated into management plans. -
Publication
Grievance Redress Mechanisms
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on how investors can provide effective remedies to affected parties who perceive that their rights have been adversely affected by business activities. A grievance redress mechanism (GRM) is a set of arrangements that enable local communities, employees, out growers, and other affected stakeholders to raise grievances with the investor and seek redress when they perceive a negative impact arising from the investor’s activities. It is a key way to mitigate, manage, and resolve potential or realized negative impacts, as well as fulfill obligations under international human rights law and contribute to positive relations with communities and employees. GRMs have been operated with varying degrees of success. This noteprovides guidance and examples on how to improve the design and implementation of mechanisms for mutual benefit. -
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Additional Resources
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This document provides introduction by providing overall guidance on the use of terms and abbreviations across the entire notes series. Common overarching principles on responsible agricultural investment which underlie the approach and tenor of the series are also introduced. Note 2 complements others in the series by offering additional resources over and above those provided in each of them. -
Publication
Choosing Appropriate Business Models
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note provides guidance on considerations in the selection of an appropriate business model through which to conduct an agricultural investment. Agricultural investments have a wide range of impacts, positive and negative. The choice of business model is one, but by no means the only, determining factor of the financial success of the investment, as well as its socioeconomic and environmental impacts on the economy and local communities. This note outlines the general types of models available and the considerations for selecting and or designing a blended model to suit the context of the investment. -
Publication
Tools for Screening Prospective Investors
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018-03)This note supplements note 6: screening prospective investors. The investment screening process requires suitable tools for assisting government agencies in their work. This note provides examples of tools that government agencies can adapt to their national context and use to develop the technical capacity to screen and select investors.