l’« agroécologie bidon » : La mainmise des multinationales sur l’agroécologie

The report critiques the 'corporate capture' of agroecology by three major global initiatives: the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI), the New Vision for Agriculture (NVA), and the Coalition for Food, Land and Use (FOLU). It contends that these entities promote a version of 'junk agroecology' that focuses on 'sustainable intensification' and technological fixes—such as big data, blockchain, and genomic editing—rather than the holistic, social, and political transformation central to genuine agroecology. The authors argue that these initiatives aim to 'transform small farms into sustainable agro-industries' to integrate smallholders into global value chains controlled by multinationals, thereby maintaining systemic inequalities and the dominance of industrial agriculture.

• The report distinguishes between genuine agroecology—which is a science, practice, and social movement aiming for social justice and food sovereignty—and 'junk agroecology,' a narrow vision used by corporations to address only partial environmental damage while preserving inequalities and power imbalances.
• Three primary global public-private initiatives are identified as drivers of 'junk agroecology': the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI), the New Vision for Agriculture (NVA), and the Coalition for Food, Land and Use (FOLU). Their shared objective is to convert small-scale farming into sustainable agro-industries without redistributing power or value.
• The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI), founded in 2002 by Danone, Nestlé, and Unilever, is dominated by private multinational interests (95% of members) and emphasizes the role of profit and technological innovation like big data and blockchain.
• The New Vision for Agriculture (NVA), a World Economic Forum pillar, promotes 'sustainable intensification' to increase productivity in developing countries. It is led by 17 powerful transnational companies, including Cargill, Monsanto, and Nestlé, and advocates for genomic editing and precision agriculture.
• The Coalition for Food, Land and Use (FOLU) focuses on business opportunities within the green economy transition. While slightly more critical of market integration than SAI or NVA, it still relies on technological determinism, including digitalization and genetic improvements.
• Corporate agroecology is characterized by three 'obsessions': productivism (the belief that increasing production is the only way to end hunger), the pursuit of new business opportunities (integrating autonomous producers into global value chains), and a shift toward multi-stakeholder governance where corporations hold disproportionate power.
• The authors conclude that a real agroecological transition requires participatory public policies that center small-scale food producers and rural/urban workers, adhering to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other people working in rural areas.

APA

Alonso-Fradejas, A., Forero, L. F., Ortega-Espès, D., Drago, M., & Chandrasekaran, K. (2020). l’« agroécologie bidon » : La mainmise des multinationales sur l’agroécologie. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lagroecologie-bidon-ATI-TNI-Crocevia-resume-FR.pdf

Chicago

Alonso-Fradejas, Alberto, Lyda Fernanda Forero, Delphine Ortega-Espès, Martín Drago, and Kirtana Chandrasekaran. l’« agroécologie bidon » : La mainmise des multinationales sur l’agroécologie. Friends of the Earth International, 2020. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lagroecologie-bidon-ATI-TNI-Crocevia-resume-FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alonso-Fradejas |first1=Alberto |last2=Forero |first2=Lyda Fernanda |last3=Ortega-Espès |first3=Delphine |last4=Drago |first4=Martín |last5=Chandrasekaran |first5=Kirtana |title=l’« agroécologie bidon » : La mainmise des multinationales sur l’agroécologie |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=April 2020 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lagroecologie-bidon-ATI-TNI-Crocevia-resume-FR.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alonsofradejas2020agrocologie, author = {Alonso-Fradejas, Alberto and Forero, Lyda Fernanda and Ortega-Espès, Delphine and Drago, Martín and Chandrasekaran, Kirtana}, title = {{l’« agroécologie bidon » : La mainmise des multinationales sur l’agroécologie}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lagroecologie-bidon-ATI-TNI-Crocevia-resume-FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }