The Ex-Ante Carbon-balance Tool for value chains (EX-ACT VC) is a quantitative multi-appraisal tool that evaluates the sustainability of agrifood value chains simultaneously along several environmental, economic, and social dimensions. It analyses greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along an agrifood value chain, from farm gate to shelf, including GHG fluxes from processing and storage, to packaging and transportation; calculates a set of value-added indicators including gross production value, value-added, and net income; and estimates the number and nature of jobs created along the value chain. It also includes an estimation of food loss at each stage of the value chain; an assessment of gender and youth participation and an SDG tracker.

The EX-ACT VC methodological guidelines aim to: 1) provide a comprehensive overview of the tool and help users assess the sustainability of agrifood value chains across environmental, economic, and social dimensions using the tool; 2) describe the various methodological concepts underlying the tool to perform a value chain assessment and calculating several indicators of sustainability; 3) illustrate the structural layout of the tool, explaining data requirements, and providing step-by-step data entry guidance to perform a value chain assessment using EX-ACT VC; 4) discuss the different indicators the tool calculates and how they can be for project and policy evaluation and design. These guidelines are intended to assist potential users of EX-ACT VC including policymakers, project managers, analysts and researchers.