Comment Investir Efficacement en Afrique?

The document examines the surge of foreign investment in African agricultural land and water, driven by demand for food and biofuels. It highlights systemic failures in governance, including the disregard for local land rights, lack of community consultation, and the absence of environmental impact assessments. It argues that the current legal landscape—dominated by investor-centric international treaties and contracts—often undermines local food security and environmental protection. The briefing urges parliamentarians to demand transparency, access to investment contracts, and a role in the ratification and monitoring of these deals to ensure sustainable development and the protection of vulnerable populations, particularly women.

• Foreign investment in African land has increased dramatically, with World Bank data showing 45 million hectares traded in 2009 alone, while other reports estimate 60 to 80 million hectares have been leased to investors since 2004. The most targeted countries include Sudan (4 million hectares), Mozambique (2.7 million hectares), Liberia (1.6 million hectares), and Ethiopia (between 1.3 and 3.6 million hectares).
• Large-scale agricultural investments often occur in areas with weak land governance, leading to the transfer of land without respecting existing rights. In Ethiopia, land designated as 'unused' was found to have been previously used for shifting agriculture and dry-season grazing.
• Investments have had significant negative gender impacts, as women often lose access to essential water and forest resources and are frequently excluded from decision-making processes and employment opportunities.
• There is a widespread lack of transparency and community consultation, with many transactions remaining secret until after they are concluded. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are frequently ignored; for example, the World Bank and Oakland Institute found that not a single project in Ethiopia had undergone an EIA despite legal requirements.
• The legal framework for foreign investment is often skewed toward protecting investor interests through international treaties and contracts, frequently omitting the social and economic interests of local users or the state's right to regulate for the public interest.
• Access to investment contracts is critical for oversight, as these documents define land area, lease duration, rent, and water rights. Liberia is cited as a positive example for publishing mining, agriculture, and forestry contracts via its Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

APA

Smaller, C. (2011). Comment Investir Efficacement en Afrique? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/making_investment_work_africa_fr.pdf

Chicago

Smaller, Carin. Comment Investir Efficacement en Afrique? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2011. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/making_investment_work_africa_fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smaller |first1=Carin |title=Comment Investir Efficacement en Afrique? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/making_investment_work_africa_fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smaller2011comment, author = {Smaller, Carin}, title = {{Comment Investir Efficacement en Afrique?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/making_investment_work_africa_fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }