“Le regime de commerce et d’investissement”: un carcan qui empéche le developpement de l'agro-ecologie et l'acces a la terre

The document analyzes how neoliberal trade and investment frameworks, characterized by 'mega-regional' agreements and bilateral investment treaties, prioritize corporate profitability over human rights and ecological sustainability. It contrasts the 'agro-industry' model—which emphasizes large-scale production of 'flexible crops' for export and financial gain—with 'agroecology,' which focuses on small-scale producers, biodiversity, and the social function of land. The report highlights the role of the European Union in driving this industrial model, particularly in Africa, and recommends a systemic shift toward policies that protect small-scale farmers, recognize land as a common good, and hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights violations.

• The current trade and investment regime restricts the ability of states to implement sovereign domestic policies by treating national legislation as barriers to trade. This is particularly evident in 'mega-regional' agreements and new free trade agreements driven by transnational corporations and governments from Europe and the United States.
• Investment treaties include specific clauses that protect corporate interests at the expense of public rights. These include 'national treatment' and 'most-favored-nation' clauses, as well as 'fair and equitable treatment' standards that limit a state's role in public policy and regulation.
• Industrial agriculture prioritizes 'exchange value' over 'use value,' focusing on the large-scale production of 'flexible crops' (such as soy and oil palm) for animal feed, biofuels, and industrial use rather than human food security.
• The industrial model exacerbates gender inequality and vulnerability for women, who are often the majority in food production but face greater difficulties in accessing land and are subject to various forms of violence.
• The European Union acts as a driver of the agro-industrial model through its external trade policies and the financing of development funds and technical assistance that support industrial plantations in Africa, such as oil palm.
• Agroecology is presented as a viable alternative that promotes economic, ecological, and climate justice by empowering small-scale producers, preserving biodiversity, and treating land as a social and spiritual common rather than a financial asset.
• The report recommends the creation of a legally binding instrument to judge human rights violations committed by transnational corporations and a reform of investment regimes to prioritize national jurisdiction over international arbitration.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2016). “Le regime de commerce et d’investissement”: un carcan qui empéche le developpement de l'agro-ecologie et l'acces a la terre. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Camisa-Once-Varas-FRANCES-Q-1.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. “Le regime de commerce et d’investissement”: un carcan qui empéche le developpement de l'agro-ecologie et l'acces a la terre. 2016. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Camisa-Once-Varas-FRANCES-Q-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=“Le regime de commerce et d’investissement”: un carcan qui empéche le developpement de l'agro-ecologie et l'acces a la terre |date=October 2016 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Camisa-Once-Varas-FRANCES-Q-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2016regime, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{“Le regime de commerce et d’investissement”: un carcan qui empéche le developpement de l'agro-ecologie et l'acces a la terre}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2016}, month = oct, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Camisa-Once-Varas-FRANCES-Q-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }