Bibliographie sélective OHADA

Soils are essential for food security and the right to food. But where is the connect between soil, trade in agriculture and the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO)? While the WTO is not an environmental protection agency (as per its initial design at least), existing WTO rules fail to make agricultural trade patterns sustainable when it comes to the medium of soil. Notwithstanding, trade policy is of growing importance to soil protection, biodiversity preservation, deforestation, land degradation and desertification. Soil is key in this regard not only because it is the world's second-largest carbon sink after the oceans. Unsustainable trade in agricultural commodities should increasingly be seen in light of an industrial transition to increased climate neutrality and decarbonisation. This in turn should be guided by the leitmotiv – in times of climate change - to place soil protection for sustainable food security at the centre of any economic policy, also in terms of the rules on international trade in agriculture under the WTO.

Issues related to international trade and the environment undoubtedly are of significance to developing countries like Cameroon because they argue that developed countries have depleted resources and indulged in environmentally harmful practices during the past century, in order to achieve unprecedented high standards of living.² The developing countries therefore demand a general but differentiated responsibility, seeking open trade and compensation for adopting environmentally restraining policies.³ Upon further reflection on the link between economic growth activities, environmental protection and social development, the triangular debate on these topics will be highlighted briefly, by introducing the various perspectives.⁴ Trade creates the wealth, which