Agriculture and the environment in international law: Towards a new legal paradigm?

Abstract

Since some decades, the international regulation of environmental issues can be represented in unitary terms, as international environmental law. Conversely, a legal discipline that might be called “international agricultural law” does not exist. Although there are several international rules and even treaties involving agricultural matters, these are disparate and heterogeneous. This fact shows the asymmetrical positions of agriculture and the environment in international law. As a consequence, this chapter focuses less on the environment than it does on agriculture. Moving from international rules and instruments regarding agriculture, it tries to show the existing interaction with environmental law. Finally, it offers some suggestions on a possible agroecological evolution in international law.