China in African Agriculture - Henry Tugendhat

China and Brazil in African agriculture: co-operation or culture clash?

Monday 15th June, 2015

www.future-agricultures.org/research/cbaa

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China in African Agriculture

Henry Tugendhat

15 June 2015

Overview

1. Why is China engaging in African agriculture?

– Drivers and land grabs

2. What do we know about Chinese cooperation to date?

3. What is the connection between the Chinese state and business in Africa?

4. Issues raised by the research

1. China-Africa Cooperation Then

1. China-Africa Cooperation Now

1. Agricultural Self-Sufficiency Issues

1. Chinese Land Grabs? Comparing reported, confirmed and operational Chinese agricultural investments

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CHINESE COOPERATION?

2. China White Paper on Foreign Aid 2011

11%

33%

19%

31%

6%

2,025 projects "By the end of 2009"

Agricultural Projects Public Facilities Economic Infrastructure

Industry Others

2. China White Paper on Foreign Aid 2014

8%

62%

27%

3% 0%

580 projects between 2010-2012

Agricultural Projects Public Facilities Economic Infrastructure

Industry Others

2. China White Paper on Foreign Aid 2014

Distribution of Foreign Assistance Funds 2010-2012

WHAT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CHINESE STATE AND BUSINESS IN AFRICA?

3. Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centres

ATDCs established after FOCAC 2006

ATDCs established after FOCAC 2009

Source: Tang, Xiaoyang [唐晓阳] ‘The evolution and effects of Chinese agricultural aid to Africa’国际关系理论 (2013)

3. State-Business Relations

3. State Owned Enterprises

Tianze Zimbabwe

3. Under the Radar

4. Some selected issues raised

• Political contexts matter

• Beware simplistic assumptions about ‘transfer’: contexts matter, time and learning is important, what’s appropriate depends on who it’s aimed at.

• Building long-term platforms: investment in training and expertise exchange is really significant.

• Linking state-backed aid with business is central. But questions about who benefits?

• Informal, networked, incremental investments outside state-directed processes may have big impacts in longer term.

Thank You!www.future-agricultures.org/research/cbaa

henryt@ids.ac.uk