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

The document argues that financial service providers (FSPs) often avoid agricultural investments in developing countries due to perceived risks. It finds that while voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) provide high coverage for legal compliance, labor rights, and forest conservation, they lack sufficient criteria for economic viability, transparency, and climate adaptation. The brief recommends that FSPs integrate VSS into ESG due diligence and that governments provide land tenure and financial incentives to support VSS-compliant farmers.

• Financial service providers (FSPs) perceive agricultural investments in developing economies as high-risk, creating a significant investment gap. In 2014, UNCTAD estimated the annual investment gap to reach Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) in developing countries was $260 billion US.
• Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can mitigate financial risks by encouraging farmers to adopt practices that protect the environment and social well-being, thereby reducing risks related to reputation, regulation, and litigation.
• Analysis of 12 VSS shows high coverage of economic criteria related to legal compliance and sustainability planning, but low coverage for anti-corruption, transparency, and economic viability.
• VSS provide strong coverage for environmental conservation of water, soil, and forests, but are deficient in addressing climate adaptation and mitigation.
• Social sustainability coverage in VSS is high for labor rights and health and safety, but low for community development and cultural preservation.
• FSPs can utilize VSS to enhance their investment processes by using them for ESG performance evaluation, structuring sustainability-linked loans, and performing preliminary screening of beneficiaries.
• To improve access to finance, VSS should integrate more rigorous economic and commercial criteria, such as detailed financial record-keeping, productivity logs, and climate vulnerability assessments.
• Governments can catalyze sustainable agricultural investment by securing land rights (especially for women), promoting farmer organizations, and offering guarantees or insurance for VSS-compliant producers.

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} }