Le guide de l’IISD pour la négociation de contrats d’investissement pour les terres arables et l'eau

The IISD guide outlines a framework for negotiating agricultural investment contracts, emphasizing the primacy of national legislation over contracts and international treaties. It provides a comprehensive model contract covering land rights, financial obligations, social and environmental commitments, and dispute resolution, while advocating for transparency and community engagement to ensure sustainable rural development.

• Investment contracts exist within a legal hierarchy where national legislation should ideally be the primary governor of investment, followed by specific investment contracts, and finally international investment treaties which should only cover flagrant violations like expropriation without compensation.
• Stability clauses, which freeze national legislation at the time of contract signing, are frequently used in Africa and can severely limit a government's ability to enact new environmental or labor laws to achieve sustainable development goals.
• Agricultural investment projects have a high failure rate; a World Bank study of 179 projects in 32 countries found that 50% were total or partial financial failures due to flawed concepts, poor location, or overly optimistic planning.
• To mitigate risks and ensure sustainability, the guide recommends that feasibility studies, environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), and management plans be prepared by the investor, verified by an independent third party, and approved by the government before the contract is signed.
• The guide advocates for 'out-grower' or satellite plantation systems as a more sustainable alternative to large-scale plantations, noting they can create significantly more employment—requiring only 3 hectares per job compared to 19 hectares in large plantations.
• Transparency is critical to reducing corruption and gaining community support; the guide argues that all investment contracts and related documents should be public, except for truly sensitive commercial information.
• Effective water management in contracts should include a system of permits and licenses with clear quantities, regular reviews every five years, and the payment of royalties to reflect the economic value of the resource.
• To protect national resources, governments must explicitly reserve exclusive rights to explore and develop subsoil resources, such as minerals, oil, and gas, to prevent them from being inadvertently granted to agricultural investors.
• The guide suggests that governments should prioritize 'interest-based' negotiations over 'rent-based' negotiations to ensure the needs of the investor, the government, and the local community are all addressed.

APA

Smaller, C. (2014). Le guide de l’IISD pour la négociation de contrats d’investissement pour les terres arables et l'eau. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-guide-negotiating-investment-contracts-farmland-water-fr.pdf

Chicago

Smaller, Carin. Le guide de l’IISD pour la négociation de contrats d’investissement pour les terres arables et l'eau. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2014. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-guide-negotiating-investment-contracts-farmland-water-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smaller |first1=Carin |title=Le guide de l’IISD pour la négociation de contrats d’investissement pour les terres arables et l'eau |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2014 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-guide-negotiating-investment-contracts-farmland-water-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smaller2014guide, author = {Smaller, Carin}, title = {{Le guide de l’IISD pour la négociation de contrats d’investissement pour les terres arables et l'eau}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2014}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd-guide-negotiating-investment-contracts-farmland-water-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }