ICA invites feedback on draft legal guide to strengthen agricultural enterprises
The Guide presents a range of legal options for collaboration in the agricultural sector, examining three principal categories—multiparty contracts, cooperatives and companies—both individually and comparatively
BRUSSELS, August 9, 2026 – The International Cooperative Alliance [ICA] has called on its members, cooperative organisations and cooperative law experts to participate in a public consultation on the draft UNIDROIT/FAO/IFAD Legal Guide on Collaborative Legal Structures for Agricultural Enterprises.
The draft Legal Guide is the third legal instrument jointly developed by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. It follows the Legal Guide on Contract Farming, completed in 2015, and the Legal Guide on Agricultural Land Investment Contracts, finalised in 2021.
According to the ICA, the five-chapter draft is designed to enhance the participation of smallholder farmers and agricultural micro, small and medium-sized enterprises [agri-MSMEs] in agrifood value chains by providing practical legal guidance on collaborative business arrangements.
The Guide presents a range of legal options for collaboration in the agricultural sector, examining three principal categories—multiparty contracts, cooperatives and companies—both individually and comparatively. It also explores the use of digital platforms as organisational tools that can support collaboration through conventional legal structures.
The document is intended primarily for legal practitioners, advisers and organisations involved in providing legal and capacity-building support to smallholders and agri-MSMEs, including professionals responsible for drafting contracts and internal regulations.
The ICA said it has played an active role in developing the draft instrument. Hagen Henry and Cynthia Giagnocavo served on the Working Group, while the ICA Global Office contributed to discussions and explored the organisation’s potential role in supporting the Guide’s future implementation.
The alliance is now encouraging its members, particularly agricultural cooperatives, farmer and producer organisations, lawyers, researchers and practitioners, to review the draft and submit comments.
It said feedback will be especially valuable in assessing whether the Guide accurately reflects the identity, legal characteristics and practical realities of agricultural cooperatives.
Comments should be submitted to the UNIDROIT Secretariat via CLSAE-consultation@unidroit.org by 20 September 2026.
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