Contrats d’investissement dans l’agriculture : Maximisation des bénéfices et minimisation des risques

This World Bank Group report provides a framework for using investment contracts to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of large-scale agricultural projects in developing countries. It identifies five key positive outcomes and five primary weaknesses associated with these investments, offering specific legal and contractual options to ensure sustainable development and the protection of local communities.

• Employment is the most significant positive outcome of large-scale agricultural investments. A study of 39 projects showed they directly employed approximately 39,000 people and created 150,000 indirect jobs, often in rural areas with few formal sector opportunities.
• The 'satellite plantation' model, where local smallholders sell production to a larger plantation or processing unit, is identified as the most effective economic model for technology transfer and increasing rural incomes.
• The creation of local processing units is highly valued as it adds value to primary production and avoids the negative impacts associated with land acquisition.
• Financial and operational success is strongly linked to the implementation of community development programs and inclusive economic models that share benefits with local populations.
• Reduced access to land and poorly executed resettlement plans are the primary negative impacts of agricultural investments, often caused by a failure to map official and informal land rights before signing contracts.
• A lack of transparency and insufficient consultation with local communities lead to distrust and operational risks. The report suggests making investment contracts and environmental/social impact assessments public documents.
• Approximately half of the analyzed agricultural investments failed or were financially unsuccessful, largely due to poor design, overly optimistic planning, or incorrect site and crop selection.
• Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) are frequently treated as mere 'tick-box' exercises and are rarely integrated into binding contracts or operational management plans.
• Local populations often lack adequate mechanisms to lodge complaints or seek redress from investors and governments, necessitating the inclusion of grievance mechanisms based on IFC performance standards in contracts.
• Broad 'stabilization clauses' that freeze national legislation are considered unacceptable as they discourage governments from implementing new environmental or social laws; limited fiscal stabilization clauses are more widely supported.

APA

C., S., W., S., H., M., N., B.-O., & G., D. (2015). Contrats d’investissement dans l’agriculture : Maximisation des bénéfices et minimisation des risques. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/world-bank-agri-investment-contracts-web-fr.pdf

Chicago

C., Smaller,, Speller, W., Mirza, H., Bernasconi-Osterwalder, N., and Dixie, G. Contrats d’investissement dans l’agriculture : Maximisation des bénéfices et minimisation des risques. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/world-bank-agri-investment-contracts-web-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=C. |first1=Smaller, |last2=W. |first2=Speller, |last3=H. |first3=Mirza, |last4=N. |first4=Bernasconi-Osterwalder, |last5=G. |first5=Dixie, |title=Contrats d’investissement dans l’agriculture : Maximisation des bénéfices et minimisation des risques |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2015 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/world-bank-agri-investment-contracts-web-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{c2015contrats, author = {C., Smaller, and W., Speller, and H., Mirza, and N., Bernasconi-Osterwalder, and G., Dixie,}, title = {{Contrats d’investissement dans l’agriculture : Maximisation des bénéfices et minimisation des risques}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/world-bank-agri-investment-contracts-web-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }