Fausses solutions, vrais profits : révélations sur les manoeuvres de l'agro-industrie

The report critiques the industrial agri-food system, describing it as a network of producers, processors, and retailers that prioritizes profit maximization through intensive monocultures and chemical inputs. It argues that corporate-led initiatives—such as sustainability certifications, 'sustainable intensification,' and 'regenerative agriculture'—are 'false solutions' designed to greenwash industrial practices, capture carbon markets, and shift responsibility to consumers. The document highlights the negative impacts of this model, including deforestation, human rights violations, and the marginalization of small-scale farmers, while contrasting these with 'people's solutions' based on food sovereignty and agroecology.

• The agro-industrial model is characterized by a highly concentrated network of multinationals and financial entities that use intensive large-scale production, toxic agrochemicals, and labor exploitation to maximize profits and achieve economies of scale.
• Agro-industrial production contributes significantly to climate change and biodiversity loss through deforestation and the use of petroleum-based inputs; for example, synthetic fertilizer use has increased nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions by 44% over three decades.
• Corporate 'false solutions' are designed to maintain the viability of the industrial model by framing problems as technical issues solvable by the companies themselves, rather than structural failures of the system.
• Sustainability and deforestation certifications are described as self-regulating mechanisms that lack legal accountability and often mask ongoing environmental destruction, such as the RSPO certification in Indonesia.
• The concept of 'sustainable intensification' is critiqued as a false narrative that claims to protect forests by increasing productivity, but in reality, it often leads to 'intensification traps' and further land conversion.
• Regenerative agriculture has been co-opted by agro-industry to commodify carbon through soil sequestration credits, allowing companies to continue emitting greenhouse gases while generating new profit streams.
• In Argentina, the adoption of 'no-till' farming combined with GM soy (Roundup Ready) led to a 480% increase in pesticide use per hectare between 1990 and 2021 and the displacement of small farmers.
• Multinational corporations use lobbying and 'multi-stakeholderism' to influence international frameworks, such as the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework, ensuring that regulations remain voluntary and do not disrupt the industrial model.
• The report identifies 'people's solutions' as the only viable alternative, focusing on food sovereignty, agroecology, and the democratic control of common goods to ensure social and environmental justice.

APA

Marentes, C., Mariën, N., & Chandrasekaran, K. (2024). Fausses solutions, vrais profits : révélations sur les manoeuvres de l'agro-industrie. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FOEI_The-Agribusiness-model_FR.pdf

Chicago

Marentes, Carlos, Nele Mariën, and Kirtana Chandrasekaran. Fausses solutions, vrais profits : révélations sur les manoeuvres de l'agro-industrie. Friends of the Earth International, 2024. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FOEI_The-Agribusiness-model_FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Marentes |first1=Carlos |last2=Mariën |first2=Nele |last3=Chandrasekaran |first3=Kirtana |title=Fausses solutions, vrais profits : révélations sur les manoeuvres de l'agro-industrie |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=March 2024 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FOEI_The-Agribusiness-model_FR.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{marentes2024fausses, author = {Marentes, Carlos and Mariën, Nele and Chandrasekaran, Kirtana}, title = {{Fausses solutions, vrais profits : révélations sur les manoeuvres de l'agro-industrie}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FOEI_The-Agribusiness-model_FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }