Sustainability Self-Assessment Framework

AIC's Sustainability Self-Assessment Framework helps agri-supply businesses to understand and improve the sustainability credentials of their operations.

It enables a business to identify where to improve efficiency and reduce consumption of resources, thereby benefitting their business and the environment.

The Framework complements the commitments made in AIC's Roadmap for a Sustainable Food Chain and has been developed by AIC through contacts, experiences and involvement in a diverse range of stakeholder forums.

The indicators are grouped under the nine headings of the Roadmap and presented in modules to enable businesses to complete the areas relevant to their business.

Click below to begin or continue working on the Framework. Returning users need to log in to their VBMS account, while first-time users must register an account first.

Key benefits

For Member businesses

In the future all businesses will likely be required to report on a range of sustainability indicators, whether it is through their supply chain, securing funding and investment opportunities, or legislative requirements.

Other benefits of using AIC's Sustainabilty Self-Assessment Framework include:

Improved efficiency and reduced consumption of resources, helping to manage costs
Having a framework on which to structure and develop your sustainability journey/strategy
Identifying your businesses areas of strength and areas for development
Guidance and support provided throughout
Access to useful information and additional material included to further develop knowledge on areas that may need development or clarification
The ability to save evidence against specific indicators, acting as a repository for future reference
Year-on-year completion means your progress can be tracked and measured
Understanding and benchmarking at sector level and across the agri-supply industry*
Enabling AIC to identify areas and opportunities to further support its Members in areas that they may be struggling to achieve in thier sustainability journey (e.g. guidance, training, assessment and support)

*_{anonymised sector and industry data trends will be compiled and reported for benchmarking purposes.}

For the wider agri-supply industry

Providing a sufficiently representative data set has been collected, anonymised sector and industry data trends will be compiled and reported.
- This will enable AIC to produce sector and industry-level reports to advocate how the agri-supply sector is demonstrating their commitment to sustainability
Provides Members with demonstrable information that they can use when communicating with government and stakeholders
Creating confidence that there is a groundswell in the agri-supply sector to facilitate all members to participate knowing they are in this together
Enabling AIC and the industry to demonstrate to government and stakeholders that the agri-supply industry is getting a firm handle on their sustainability requirements and solutions sit within and can be delivered by the industry
Enabling AIC to evidence the impact of external factors on members and advocate for beneficial solutions