Getting into a bind: how the trade and investment regime blocks the development of agroecology and access to land
On World Food Day, a new report from Friends of the Earth International finds that current strategies to raise investment in agriculture are most likely blocking rather than aiding the achievement of food security and food sovereignty. One key reason is that trade and investment agreements focus on attracting agribusiness investments and are geared towards generating profits for them. This is being done by using these agreements to open new markets for agribusinesses and including clauses in them that give comprehensive protection for agribusiness’ profits, even when this comes at the cost of States and peoples welfare. Agreements under negotiation such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as well as some major aid programmes undermine the sovereignty of states and hinder their ability to develop their own agricultural economies and food sovereignty.