This news roundup has been collected on behalf of the China and Brazil in African Agriculture (CBAA) project. For regular updates from the project, sign up to the CBAA newsletter.
Brazil innovates for under-financed Mozambican agriculture
This article presents some Brazilian engagements in Mozambique, including the Mozambique Food and Nutrition Security Programme. This combines US and Brazilian initiatives through USAID and Embrapa respectively, and has already introduced seeds originally developed in the USA. Presumably this part of the programme is linked to the partnerships between large US seed companies such as Monsanto or Dupont, and Embrapa that already exist in Brazil.
(Independent European Daily Express)
China urges Zimbabwe government to tackle corruption
The CEO of Industrial Commercial Bank of China has urged Zimbabwean officials to clamp down on corruption. According to the article below, he appears to suggest that Xi Jinping’s new policy agenda on corruption from last year explains China’s economic growth. Meanwhile, a representative from the China Railway Construction Corporation has encouraged Zimbabwean officials to bring down tariff barriers and provide preferential policies to incentivise Foreign Direct Investment.
(NewsDay)
CAADP conference invites Brazilian observers
The 10th annual conference of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), begins on 18 March 2014, and has invited two representatives from Brazil’s Lula Institute to attend. They will participate as observers to the proceedings for the main part, however there will be a working group within this concerning the food and nutrition security programme launched by the FAO, the AU and the Lula Institute last year.
(Lula Institute)
UK urges trilateral cooperation with Brazil in Africa
Last month, the UK Foreign Minister called for increased UK-Brazilian development cooperation in Africa within a debate entitled: ‘Brazil-UK Cooperation: Prosperity and development in the African continent’. It was attended by Brazilian officials and various African ambassadors to Brazil. The Minister is quoted as calling for cooperation on good governance and economic growth specifically, and the Lula Institute’s cooperation programme with the FAO and AU was also raised in discussions.
(Lula Institute)
Brazil’s South–South Co-operation Strategies: From Foreign Policy to Public Policy (occasional paper)
SAIIA has published a new paper by Prof. Carlos Milani from the State University of Rio de Janeiro. This looks at the role of institutional and non-institutional actors in Brazil’s South-South foreign policy agendas.
(South African Institute of International Affairs)
BRICS Academic Forum takes place in Rio
The BRICS Academic Forum taking place in Rio de Janeiro this week, and will be attended by several members of our CBAA project’s team. Events will be convened by the IDS project on the Rising Powers in International Development, looking at civil society, green transformations and mutual learning among other topics.
(Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada)
Deborah Brautigam on China-Zim aid
China-Africa scholar Deborah Brautigam blogs on reports of China’s aid to Zimbabwe totalling trillions of dollars after the Zimbabwean government failed to secure $30bn in budget support.
(China in Africa – the real story)
By Henry Tugendhat
