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…….For agribusinesses that grow profitably by growing inclusively.
Across Africa, the most resilient agribusinesses are those that grow with farmers, suppliers, communities, women, youth, and market partners. Inclusion is no longer a side initiative. It is a strategic model for stronger supply chains, reliable sourcing, market trust, and long-term commercial success.
The Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) standard recognizes agribusiness enterprises that have institutionalized inclusive business practices within their operations, sourcing systems, partnerships, and growth strategy.
Developed from field-tested lessons of 2SCALE, Africa’s largest inclusive agribusiness incubator funded by the Dutch government, and advanced through the Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria (IAMN), IAC provides a practical certification pathway for enterprises seeking to combine competitiveness with measurable impact.
For companies ready to lead the future of African agribusiness, IAC signals that growth is being built on strong commercial systems, responsible inclusion, and shared prosperity.
The Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) standard is awarded to agribusiness enterprises that demonstrate structured, measurable, and sustained commitment to inclusive business practice. Certification is not based on intention alone. It is earned through systems, policies, commercial behavior, and verifiable outcomes that show inclusion has been embedded into the way the business operates.
Certified enterprises are expected to build sourcing systems that intentionally include smallholder farmers, local suppliers, cooperatives, producer groups, women-led enterprises, youth-led businesses, and other commercially relevant underserved participants.
This includes:
Organizations must demonstrate that inclusion is part of procurement strategy and not a temporary intervention.
Inclusive business must also be commercially fair. Certified organizations are expected to operate with transparent and responsible commercial relationships that build trust and long-term participation.
This includes:
Organizations must show that commercial relationships are built on trust, predictability, and mutual value.
Strong inclusive enterprises do not only buy from suppliers. They help suppliers become stronger, more productive, and more commercially capable.
This includes:
Organizations must demonstrate that supplier growth is seen as a strategic investment in stronger supply chains.
Certified organizations are expected to create meaningful economic participation for women, youth, and other underrepresented groups where relevant to their operating context.
This includes:
Certification recognizes organizations that widen opportunity in practical and commercially relevant ways.
Inclusive agribusiness should generate growth that is commercially viable and shared across the value chain.
This includes:
Organizations must demonstrate that business growth is connected to broader ecosystem progress.
Inclusive business practice must be managed intentionally. Certified enterprises are expected to have governance systems that support accountability, measurement, and improvement.
This includes:
Certification favors organizations that treat inclusion as a managed business discipline rather than informal goodwill.
To earn the Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) designation, organizations must provide evidence that these standards are being practiced within real operations. Depending on the certification level, evidence may include documentation, interviews, data records, operational review, supplier feedback, and independent assessment. IAC recognizes enterprises that have moved beyond aspiration and built inclusion into the core architecture of business success.
To protect the credibility of the Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) standard, certification is awarded through a structured assessment process. Organizations are evaluated against defined standards using evidence-based scoring, operational review, and verification of real business practices. Certification is not granted on claims alone. It is earned through demonstrated systems, measurable practices, and verifiable outcomes.
Organizations are assessed across the six core standards of inclusive agribusiness performance.
Each standard is scored based on:
evidence from records, interviews, and field verification where required
Each standard is scored on a five-level maturity scale.
To achieve certification, organizations must also score at least 50% in each core standard. This is designed to prevent weak performance in critical areas being hidden by strength elsewhere.
Certification may rely on one or more of the following:
The Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) certification follows a structured assessment pathway designed to ensure fairness, credibility, and practical relevance. Each stage helps confirm that certified organizations have genuinely embedded inclusive business practices into their operations.
The organization submits an expression of interest, company profile, and relevant background information on its operations, supply chains, and inclusive business activities.
An initial screening is conducted to determine preparedness for certification. This may include a preliminary gap review to identify areas requiring improvement before the full assessment.
A comprehensive evaluation is carried out through document review, management interviews, operational checks, scoring against the certification standards, and verification of supporting evidence.
An independent review panel evaluates the assessment findings and confirms whether the organization has met the required standard for certification.
Successful organizations receive the official Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) certificate and approved rights to use the certification seal in corporate communications, branding, proposals, and approved promotional materials.
Periodic surveillance reviews are conducted to confirm continued compliance, monitor progress, and protect the credibility of the certification.
The IAC certification is valid for two years, subject to successful annual surveillance checks during the certification cycle.
This approach balances certification credibility with commercial practicality, while encouraging continuous improvement.
The Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) designation signals that your organization has moved beyond intention and embedded inclusive business practice into the way it grows, sources, partners, and creates value.
Certification helps organizations strengthen commercial performance while demonstrating responsible leadership across the agribusiness ecosystem.
Key benefits include:
IAC is a mark of enterprise leadership in modern African agribusiness.
The IAC certification is designed for organizations that seek to grow competitively while strengthening inclusive and sustainable agribusiness systems.
Organizations that may apply include:
The Inclusive Agribusiness Certified (IAC) standard draws from practical lessons generated through 2SCALE, widely recognized as Africa’s largest inclusive agribusiness incubator funded by the Dutch government.
Over more than a decade, 2SCALE supported enterprises, farmers, processors, and market actors across Africa to build commercially viable and inclusive business models that created growth across value chains.
Following the transition of key lessons and market development experience into Nigeria through the Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria (IAMN), these field-tested insights have been translated into a structured certification standard for today’s agribusiness enterprises.
IAC therefore combines global development insight, African field experience, and practical business discipline into one credible certification pathway.
Organizations that are committed to profitable growth, responsible sourcing, stronger supplier relationships, and inclusive value chain leadership are invited to begin the certification process.
Complete the official IAC Application Form and provide basic information about your organization, operations, and value chain activities.
