Normes volontaires de durabilité et investissements dans le domaine de l’agriculture durable

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines how Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) can mitigate financial risks for financial service providers (FSPs) investing in sustainable agriculture, particularly in developing economies. By analyzing 12 VSS against sustainable finance frameworks and consulting 51 FSPs, the document identifies gaps in economic viability and climate adaptation criteria while highlighting the strengths of VSS in environmental and social governance.

• Financial service providers (FSPs) often avoid investing in the agricultural sector of developing countries due to perceived risks, including market dynamics, climate change, and poor corporate governance. This perception creates a significant investment gap; for instance, UNCTAD estimated in 2014 that the annual investment gap to reach Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) in developing countries was $260 billion US.
• Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) can reduce financial risks by encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable practices that protect the environment and social well-being. They can improve productivity, profitability, and bargaining power, while facilitating trade relationships and providing training and technology transfer.
• In the economic dimension, VSS provide high coverage for legal compliance and sustainability planning, which helps FSPs avoid risks related to illegal operations or reputational damage. However, coverage is low or non-existent for critical financial areas such as anti-corruption measures, transparency, and overall economic viability (e.g., business plans and financial resilience).
• VSS show high coverage in environmental protection, specifically regarding water conservation, soil conservation, and forest conservation. While they effectively address biodiversity and pesticide pollution (medium coverage), they are significantly lacking in requirements for climate adaptation and mitigation.
• Regarding the social dimension, VSS provide high coverage for labor rights (aligned with ILO conventions) and health and safety. Medium coverage is found for employer practices and indigenous peoples' rights, while community development and cultural preservation receive low or non-existent coverage.
• FSPs can integrate VSS into their operations by using them for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) due diligence, structuring sustainability-linked financial products (such as loans with interest rates tied to VSS indicators), and performing preliminary screening of potential beneficiaries to reduce monitoring costs.
• To improve access to finance, VSS should evolve to include more rigorous economic and business criteria, such as detailed financial records, GHG emission tracking, and climate vulnerability assessments. There is also a need for more independent empirical evidence on the sustainability impacts of VSS to attract further investment.
• Governments can catalyze sustainable agricultural investment by securing land rights (especially for women), promoting the formation of agricultural organizations, providing financial guarantees for VSS-compliant farmers, and offering incentives like payments for ecosystem services.

APA

Larrea, C. (2023). Normes volontaires de durabilité et investissements dans le domaine de l’agriculture durable. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-06/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-fr.pdf

Chicago

Larrea, Cristina. Normes volontaires de durabilité et investissements dans le domaine de l’agriculture durable. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-06/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Larrea |first1=Cristina |title=Normes volontaires de durabilité et investissements dans le domaine de l’agriculture durable |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-06/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{larrea2023normes, author = {Larrea, Cristina}, title = {{Normes volontaires de durabilité et investissements dans le domaine de l’agriculture durable}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-06/ssi-brief-standards-investments-sustainable-agriculture-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }