IISD Input to the LPI E-Consultation: Guiding Principles on large-scale land-based investments in Africa

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a set of recommendations to the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) to strengthen the guiding principles for large-scale land-based investments (LSLBI) in Africa, focusing on legal protections, project viability, stakeholder obligations, and dispute resolution.

• IISD recommends that the guiding principles explicitly reference investment treaties and contracts as the primary legal tools for foreign investor protections, noting that these allow investors to sue states in international arbitration for alleged breaches.
• To ensure project viability, IISD suggests requiring investors to conduct financial and economic feasibility studies verified by an independent third party before signing contracts, with the resulting business plan approved by the government.
• The document proposes a more detailed framework for stakeholder rights and obligations, suggesting that State rights include project site monitoring, State obligations include equitable water distribution, and investor obligations include local employment, training, technology transfer, and purchasing local goods.
• IISD argues that the guiding principles lack reference to grievance and judicial mechanisms and recommends that domestic courts, tribunals, or mediation centers be the first choice for disputes between governments and foreign investors, rather than prioritizing international arbitration.
• The submission highlights the need for sound water management policies within land governance to prevent large-scale land-based investments from undermining the water rights of other users.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2014). IISD Input to the LPI E-Consultation: Guiding Principles on large-scale land-based investments in Africa. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_lpi_consultation_0.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. IISD Input to the LPI E-Consultation: Guiding Principles on large-scale land-based investments in Africa. 2014. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_lpi_consultation_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=IISD Input to the LPI E-Consultation: Guiding Principles on large-scale land-based investments in Africa |date=March 2014 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_lpi_consultation_0.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2014iisd, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{IISD Input to the LPI E-Consultation: Guiding Principles on large-scale land-based investments in Africa}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2014}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_lpi_consultation_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }