Tool
RuralInvest Toolkit
RuralInvest is a free multilingual methodology and toolkit designed to help with the preparation of sustainable agricultural and rural investment projects and business plans. It is participatory, interactive, bottom-up and decentralized way, involving communities, entrepreneurs, government field technicians, project staff and local financing institutions.
Developed by FAO with the support of national and international development partners, RuralInvest contributes to FAO's Strategic Objective to enable inclusive and efficient agricultural food systems.
Any agency, project, organization or private institution managing funds or mobilizing resources for small- and medium-scale agricultural and rural investment can apply RuralInvest to develop:
- Income-generating projects in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, fish farming, forestry, agro-industries, tourism, transport services, handicraft manufacturing, retail stores, wholesale services, storage services, etc.
- Non-income-generating projects (or social projects) to improve living standards in rural areas, including health centres, schools, environmental protection, roads, drinking water supply, etc.
Applying RuralInvest
FAO provides tailored courses, designed to strengthen an institution's ability to use RuralInvest, that generally last five to ten days, depending on the module(s). A second round of training usually follows once participants have been able to test their skills. The toolkit is currently available in eight languages and has been successfully introduced in ten countries.
See also
Video tutorials