Contrats d’investissement pour les terres agricoles et l’eau : 10 étapes

The document outlines ten essential steps for negotiating sustainable agricultural investment contracts, emphasizing the need for thorough preparation, independent feasibility and impact studies, and the protection of local land and water rights. It warns against 'land grabbing' and the use of broad stabilization clauses, while advocating for Community Development Agreements and clear investor obligations regarding local employment and technology transfer.

• The guide warns that foreign land investments, often termed 'land grabbing', frequently result in negative impacts, including reduced food security and violations of local rights to land, water, food, and housing, particularly for women.
• A World Bank study of 179 agricultural investment projects across 32 countries in 2012 found that half were financial failures or moderate failures due to fundamental flaws in project concepts, such as poor location choice, incorrect crop selection, or overly optimistic planning.
• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are often missing in the agricultural sector or conducted after contract signing; the guide argues they should be performed before signing and their results incorporated into the contract as legally binding obligations.
• The document advises against 'stabilization clauses'—particularly those covering non-fiscal regulatory areas like environment, labor, health, and safety—as they can prevent governments from applying new laws or require them to compensate investors for regulatory changes.
• To ensure sustainable development, contracts should include specific, legally binding obligations for investors to create jobs, train local workers, establish processing industries, transfer appropriate technologies, and sell a portion of production on the local market.
• The guide recommends the use of Community Development Agreements (CDAs) to create a legal framework for investor participation in local life, which may include allocating a percentage of project profits to a Community Development Fund for health, education, and infrastructure.
• Regarding water management, the document notes that international treaties often prioritize foreign investor rights to extract water, which can conflict with local community needs unless the contract explicitly provides for periodic reviews of water access rights.

APA

Smaller, C. (2013). Contrats d’investissement pour les terres agricoles et l’eau : 10 étapes. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_contracts_farmland_fr.pdf

Chicago

Smaller, Carin. Contrats d’investissement pour les terres agricoles et l’eau : 10 étapes. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_contracts_farmland_fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smaller |first1=Carin |title=Contrats d’investissement pour les terres agricoles et l’eau : 10 étapes |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_contracts_farmland_fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smaller2013contrats, author = {Smaller, Carin}, title = {{Contrats d’investissement pour les terres agricoles et l’eau : 10 étapes}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_contracts_farmland_fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }