The Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure at a Crossroads

The statement criticizes recent guides developed by agencies like USAID and the Interlaken Group that frame the VGGT as a tool for corporate risk management and corporate social responsibility. The authors argue that this 'multi-stakeholder' approach wrongly transfers state duties—such as identifying tenure rights and resolving conflicts—to private investors, thereby legitimizing land grabs and ignoring power asymmetries. They call for states to enact laws regulating transnational corporations, ensure free prior and informed consent, and establish a robust monitoring mechanism within the UN Committee on World Food Security.

• The authors contend that guides produced by entities such as USAID, the G7 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in Africa, and the Interlaken Group transform the Tenure Guidelines from a human rights framework into a tool for business and corporate social responsibility (CSR). These guides are accused of focusing on reducing economic and reputational risks for investors rather than protecting the most vulnerable.
• The statement argues that 'multi-stakeholder' approaches erroneously treat states and companies as equal actors, effectively transferring state responsibilities to the private sector. Specifically, the authors claim that private investors lack the legitimacy to identify and recognize tenure rights or resolve land conflicts, tasks that should remain the mandate of the state.
• The document asserts that the perceived 'partnership' between corporations and communities is a false construct that ignores power imbalances and risks trapping communities in dependence through contract farming and out-grower schemes. It argues that such models often result in the large-scale transfer of tenure rights to investors.
• The authors call for states to implement the Tenure Guidelines through mandatory regulation, including the enactment of laws that set ceilings on land transactions, require free prior and informed consent (FPIC), and hold transnational corporations (TNCs) legally accountable for human rights abuses.
• The statement urges the establishment of a robust monitoring mechanism within the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) to ensure accountability in the application of the Tenure Guidelines.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2015). The Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure at a Crossroads. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Guidelines-on-the-Responsible-Governance-of-Tenure-at-a-Crossroads.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. The Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure at a Crossroads. 2015. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Guidelines-on-the-Responsible-Governance-of-Tenure-at-a-Crossroads.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=The Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure at a Crossroads |date=10 December 2015 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Guidelines-on-the-Responsible-Governance-of-Tenure-at-a-Crossroads.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2015guidelines, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{The Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure at a Crossroads}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Guidelines-on-the-Responsible-Governance-of-Tenure-at-a-Crossroads.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }