26 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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.

New policy brief by Sérgio Chichava on China in Mozambique
Sérgio Chichava’s presentation in Washington DC has just been published as a policy brief. Its title is ‘Chinese Agricultural Investment in Mozambique: the case of the Wanbao rice farm’.
(SAIS (pdf))

Foreign-based Chinese farms face obstacles to selling produce in China
Two officials from China’s Ministry of Agriculture have published a report about the difficulties overseas Chinese farmers and agricultural firms face in exporting their produce back to China. The report found that many agricultural firms had to buy import quotas from other companies, and some were only allowed to export a fraction of what they produced back to China.
(South China Morning Post)

New FAO Credit Line for Mozambican farmers
The FAO is said to have opened a new line of credit to reduce pockets of hunger in 36 districts of Maputo, Beira and Nacal with loans becoming available in the first quarter of 2015. This will mainly be targeting families that grow vegetables and grain.
(Macau Hub: English / Portuguese)
African organic foods in Kunming Agriculture Fair
The 14^th Kunming Pan-Asian International Agriculture Fair was hosted last week, and a Chinese news article reports on an African vendor present. This year’s fair was focused around “natural ecological” products and the African stall owner is quoted as saying that because of Chinese perceptions of Africa, Chinese consumers may not have faith in African manufactured products, but may give greater respectability to their “natural ecological” products.
(21food.cn)

Agência Brasileira de Cooperação sends delegation to Ghana
Brazil’s international co-operation agency sent a delegation to Ghana in May 2014 to look at strengthening nutrition programmes in schools. The seminar convened delegates from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, and Brazil’s National Fund for the Development of Education (FNDE).
(ABC (in Portuguese))

Chinese construction firm plans $5bn investment in Angolan farming
The Chinese consortium, CITIC Construction Co., is reportedly planning to invest $5 billion in 500,000 hectares of land in Angola next year. This will focus on maize, soy and wheat planting. The company also claims to have already developed two 10,000ha farms in the country already.
(China Daily)

What Brazil could learn from Ghana
This article argues that rather than just focusing on Brazil’s agricultural development model, it could also learn something from Ghana. This is interesting, because it raises questions around whether Ghanaian agricultural development lessons could be transferred to Brazil (or China) too.
(AllAfrica)

Zimbabwe: lessons from China
This article by Fay King Chung in the Zimbabwe-based Herald discusses lessons that the country could learn from China. It touches upon how China encouraged its diaspora communities to invest in the rebuilding of the country, and wise economic management. The writer also recommends that the Zimbabwean government should focus on agriculture, and attract Chinese support in the infrastructure sector.
(The Herald)

By Henry Tugendhat

19 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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.

New briefing explores Chinese agricultural investment in Uganda
A new policy brief has just been published on the China-Africa Research Initiative based at Johns Hopkins, SAIS, regarding ‘The Political Ecology of Chinese Agricultural Investment in Uganda: the case of Hanhe Farm’. This paper was prepared by Josh Maiyo about Hebei Hanhe farm.
(SAIS)

China-Africa Agricultural Cooperation Forum held in Hainan
The 5th China-Africa Roundtable Summit in Hainan included a ‘China-Africa Agricultural Cooperation Forum’. This invited representatives from related Chinese ministries, African embassies, the FAO, the WFP, etc. Hainan-Africa cooperation potential was spoken about with senior local officials stressing the climatic similarities between the Chinese island and African environments. They also spoke about building a “21st Century Silk Road of the Sea” and an “agricultural cooperation corridor” between the two regions.
(Tianong.cn – in Chinese / Sierra Express media)

Technology sales and trainings were also highlighted at the event by a representative of China’s Ministry of Agriculture.
(Aweb.com.cn – in Chinese)

Inefficient Chinese agribusiness models in Africa?
The blogger Dim Sums argues that China is exporting the most inefficient parts of its own agricultural sector to Africa. The author looks first at investments and the transfer of fertilizer, pesticide and seed-breeding, which he argues have all been big concerns for their excessive use in China this year. Second he looks at the companies involved in producing food for Chinese markets, but argues they are often have no experience of actually producing food and are notoriously inefficient at storing and transporting grain.
(Dim Sums)
ABC interview key figures on South-South cooperation
The Agência Brasileira de Cooperação (ABC) has published a series of interviews with people related to its South-South cooperation programmes. Relevant to African cooperation projects, this has included an interview with the Director of EMBRAPA, Maurício Antônio Lopes, and the Beninese Ambassador to Brasil, Isidore Monsi.
(Interview with Maurício Antônio Lopes / Interview with Isidore Monsi)

Agribusiness Due-Diligence
The French development agency, AFD, along with partners have put together the ‘Guide to due diligence of agribusiness projects that affect land and property rights’. This seeks to guide French investments as “It presents an Analytical Framework and a Guide that each institution can now appropriate and use to change their internal project evaluation procedures.”
(Farmlandgrab.org)

Zimbabwe VP accused over Brazilian chicken imports
Zimbabwe’s Vice President Joice Mujuru has been accused of importing Brazilian chickens to Zimbabwe despite the country’s import bans to protect local farmers. However, Joice Mujuru is also taking legal action against the Herald and Sunday Mail newspapers for defamation over claims that she was involved in a plot to assassinate Robert Mugabe.
(AllAfrica / Summary of accusations – BBC / Joice Mujuru’s statement)

Negotiating Investment Contracts for Farmland and Water
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has released a Guide to Negotiating Investment Contracts for Farmland and Water, developed by its team of lawyers, social scientists and environmentalists. “Based on a more than three-year investigation of 80 agricultural investment contracts, the user-friendly guide provides options for countries to develop rural economies, boost employment, build agricultural processing factories, protect against the impacts of climate change and ensure enough water for all.”
(Farmlandgrab.org)

‘Transfers Keep Rural Counties Afloat in China’
Blog article looking at how rural county budgets in China are given regular transfers to remain afloat. Since taxes from farmers’ is often insufficient to cover the costs of the local bureaux, award systems have been set up to discourage local governments to resort to selling off the land for development projects. However, local governments still complain that if the subsidies they give to their farmers are counted with the costs the farmers bear to produce, then it is clear the grain is still being sold for cheaper than it is worth in urban areas.
(Dim Sums)

By Henry Tugendhat

12 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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.

Video: Europe-China-Africa Business & Agriculture
This video summarises some of the discussions at a conference at the European Centre for Development Policy Management in Brussels last year. It includes a short discussion with CBAA project member Prof. Li Xiaoyun, among other participants.
(TagLoom.com)

China-Africa agricultural machinery symposium held in Wuhan
At the ‘China-Africa Trade of Agricultural Machinery Cooperation Symposium’, delegates from Chinese machinery companies, research institutes and policy-making bodies met with agricultural representatives from African embassies and members of AU bodies such as the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). They invited investments in Chinese agricultural machinery companies setting up in Africa, and discussed how to develop trade links.
(CCStock)

How China supports its agricultural investors abroad
Chinese overseas investments are picking up pace. 300 companies have taken on overseas investments in 46 countries in recent years. This blog post highlights the Chinese government’s role in supporting overseas investments, including a potential “special fund for overseas agricultural investment, subsidized loans, training for personnel, and setting up information exchange platforms.” The article includes a case study of Jilin Province’s promotion of agricultural companies abroad.
(Dim Sums)

Brazil resumes swine exports to South Africa
Swine exports from Brazil to South Africa have resumed after a 9 year ban. The block was originally imposed by Brazil after a spate of foot and mouth disease in Brazil, and its lifting has been heralded as an important step by the Brazilian foreign ministry.
(Ultimo Instante)

Brazil’s cerrado: a ‘ticking carbon bomb’?
This article looks at the impacts of rising global meat demands on Brazil’s cerrado region. “Industrial farming is fast swallowing this unique landscape. And its rapid transformation is creating a ticking carbon bomb that scientists warn could significantly affect the global carbon cycle if the current rate of destruction continues.”
(Daily Climate)

China and Ethiopia boost cooperation on bamboo and rattan
The international summit on Bamboo and Rattan was held in Addis Ababa last week, hosted by the Beijing-based International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). The Ethiopian State Minister of Agriculture, Sileshi Getahun, said that Ethiopia has great potential for growing bamboo and rattan, and hopes to adapt the relevant Chinese knowledge and technology into the Ethiopian sector.
(Coastweek.com)

Chinese development lessons for African countries
Key lessons from China’s development experience for African countries, including in agriculture, are highlighted in a new publication from the Centre for Chinese Studies.
(Centre for Chinese Studies (PDF))

By Henry Tugendhat

7 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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.

Mozambique opens consulate in Macau
Based on the growing commercial relations between China and Mozambique, the latter has committed to opening a new consulate in Macau. Last year Chinese companies invested $1.6bn into Mozambique, and it is hoped that this figure will surpass $2bn this year.
(Macauhub.com)

Agricultural Innovation Marketplace Bids Open
The Agricultural Innovation Marketplace is an initiative that brings together research organisations from Brazil’s EMBRAPA and partner countries in Africa, Latin America and Caribbean. Funded by organisations such as DFID, the FAO, and the Gates Foundation it seeks to drive forward innovation and development of agriculture and animal husbandry in those regions. Submission of pre-proposals for this year is now open, and examples of past projects are mentioned in this article.
(Post Online / ANBA – in Portuguese)

Rice production grows in Sub-Saharan Africa
Rice has become a bigger part of African diets over the past three decades, and it has been predicted that rice-imports to Sub-Saharan Africa will increase faster than anywhere else in the world. It is said to be popular because it takes much less time to prepare than traditional African staples such as cassava, but local production is not keeping up with demand. This means that of 21 million tonnes consumed annually, about 6.5 million tonnes are imported from Asia at a cost of $1.7m. African countries are hoping to cover this shortfall themselves in the coming years.
(Nature)

‘Where is the evidence that land grabs are good for economic progress?’
This article questions whether land relocations will really benefit resource-rich countries. This is an interest question to be raised within the remit of the project, both concerning countries setting the policies such as Ethiopia, and the companies coming in from outside such as those in Mozambique’s ProSavana project. He concludes that until it is guaranteed that such development programmes will really bring national benefits, governments should err on the side of their smallholder farming communities that are at risk of displacement.
(The Guardian)

China’s forestry trade and investment in Africa
A CIFOR study into Chinese logging companies in Zambia finds that they create fewer jobs than non-Chinese companies, but facilitate more outlets for local logging groups. The research conducted interviews with local authorities, managers of logging companies, retired workers and heads of villages in 25 communities near the concessions of four logging companies — two Chinese-owned, one Zambian and one South African. Much of the timber is exported to China through Mozambique.
(CIFOR blog / CIFOR)

Ethiopia as the new ‘African Tiger’
Over the past week, a number of articles have been published in the Guardian’s development section on Ethiopia as the new ‘African Tiger’. They mark 30 years since the famine, and this piece is written by a professor at Addis Ababa University.
(The Guardian)

Large-Scale Land Investments Book
This book entitled ‘The Governance of Large-Scale Farmland Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa’ is free to download. The book looks specifically at the host country governance in Africa, so as to better understand the regulatory frameworks and challenges faced. The case study countries are Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia.
(Farmlandgrab.org)

By Henry Tugendhat

31 October 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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.

What is China’s “model”?
In an article for the Chinese periodical Global Times, Prof. Li Xiaoyun reflects on the idea of sharing China’s model with Africa, and argues that the real model is that China followed its own path. The problem with trying to find the Chinese “model” is that explanations may be based in Western discourses that cannot properly reflect China’s experiences, or they highlight elements that were relatively unimportant from China’s own perspective.
(Global Times: Chinese version / English version)

China’s ambassador to Ghana visits Wynca Sunshine group
The Chinese ambassador to Ghana has visited Wynca Sunshine’s new rural headquarters outside of Kumasi. It is notable that the embassy is now taking an interest in the company, as interviews last year suggested that the company in Ghana had grown independently of Chinese embassy support.
Sohu.com (in Chinese)

Ramos-Horta on relations between Africa and Latin-American
Former Timor-Leste president, José Ramos-Horta, said at a recent conference that Africa-Latin American relations were really an academic dialogue as the trade element is lacking. He stressed that their commercial relations are largely intra-African or with the EU and USA. However, he drew attention to Brazil as the only real exception to this trend, based on its financial and technological engagements.
(RTP – in Portuguese)


BRICS UN Nutrition meeting focuses on hunger and malnutrition
BRICS countries met at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ahead of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) scheduled to take place in November 2014. “Hunger” was the focus of a public debate about nutrition, including what they termed “hidden hunger” in the form of micronutrient deficiencies.
(Prensa Latina / Brazil Business)

FAOSTAT Website
Deborah Brautigam highlights the value of the FAOSTAT website for agricultural statistics concerning China-Africa agricultural relations. She mentions it has been useful in her research to show that despite narratives of China wanting to source more food in Africa, at present it is exporting far more food to Africa than it is importing.
(China in Africa: the real story)

China Agricultural University honours President Kikwete
China Agricultural University has awarded Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, an honorary Professorship for his work on a green revolution. In his acceptance speech he said that “China motivates us very much and it makes us believe that we can make quick economic transformations for our people, just as long as we have the right policies that are tailor-made for the economy".
(Daily News)
International GMO conference held in Wuhan
Amidst the ongoing controversy over Genetically Modified Crops in China, an international conference on the subject was held in Wuhan with the China Academy of Sciences on October 16^th and 17^th. Seminars involved researchers from China, Brazil and the USA among other countries. It is currently illegal to sell genetically modified rice in China on the open market, along with several other types of seed.
(ifeng.com – in Chinese / SecureMyMind.com – in Chinese)

Public Private (Farmer) Partnerships
A new research project between IDS, IIED and the International Fund for Agricultural Development has been looking at how to create successful Public Private Partnerships in the agricultural sector. Their initial findings are presented in this blog with the final report due to be published in early 2015.
(Globalisation and Development blog)

By Henry Tugendhat

16 September 2014: China and Brazil in African Agriculture - news roundup

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.

Book Review of ‘Agricultural Development and Food Security in Africa’
A book review by Lídia Cabral has been published in the Journal of Agrarian Change. It covers the book ‘Agricultural Development and Food Security in Africa: The Impact of Chinese, Indian and Brazilian Investments, edited by Fantu Cheru and Renu Modi. London: Zed Books. 2013’
(Journal of Agrarian Change)

Brazil’s strategy in Africa: business, security and defence
CEBRI, a Brazilian think-tank, has released a Special Edition discussing Brazilian strategy in Africa. This Edition is composed of five articles. Two articles analyse the role of Brazilian companies, while the others look at security and defence. (CEBRI – in Portuguese)

China formalises foreign aid law – and consults public
In April, 2014, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) published a draft of its ‘Measures for the Administration of Foreign Aid’. Marina Rudyak is a PhD student from the University of Heidelberg and has done a translation of the document with a short blog analysing the draft: “Consisting of 51 articles, the Measures are the first comprehensive legal document with the character of a law to regulate Chinese government's foreign aid. Interestingly, following a practice already applied in preparation to the last Five Year Plan, MOFCOM was seeking comments and suggestions from the Chinese public.”
(China Aid Blog)

‘Brazil risks its image in Africa with neo-colonial practices’
This article looks at how Brazilian multinationals have become the main actors within Brazil-Africa relations. It argues that despite Brazilian government narratives of justice and equality, Brazil’s multinationals are now driving an extractive relationship, reflected by the fact that in 2012, 90% of Brazil’s imports from Africa were natural resources. He draws similarities with China, but argues that while China is trying to change this image of neo-colonialism, the debate in Brazil is paralysed.
(Folha de S. Paulo – in Portuguese)

Brazil-North African plans
The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce plans to send a trend mission to North Africa in the first half of 2015. The trip would cover Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. The CEO and government relations manager of the Chamber has also recently held meetings with representatives from the FAO and EMBRAPA regarding Brazilian projects with small-scale farmers and the Bolsa Familia.
(Brazil Arab News Agency)

Small-scale African farmers under threat from climate change
A new report by AGRA shows that many small-scale farmers across Africa face threat from failed seasons this year, putting many communities’ and countries’ food security at risk. The report suggests that such small-scale food producers face a risk of being overwhelmed by the pace and severity of climate change.
(BBC)

Zimbabwean economist criticises Sino-Zim relations
A Harare-based economist and columnist, Vince Musewe, was interviewed for the China-Africa podcast. In it he says that “Beijing is 'bleeding Zimbabwe dry' through loans and Musewe says enough is enough. He is calling on Robert Mugabe's government to come clean and reveal the secret deals between the two governments, otherwise Musewe warns Zimbabwe will only sink further in to economic desperation.”
(China-Africa podcast)

Africa’s Regional Economic Communities and China
A new report on Chinese engagement with African Regional Economic Communities concludes that the regional communities should develop stronger frameworks to attract investment. It highlights the role of regional banks in facilitating engagements with China. The report, by the Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University, focuses on the ECOWAS, SADC and EAC regions of Africa.
(Centre for Chinese Studies)

By Henry Tugendhat

2 September 2014: China and Brazil in African Agriculture - news roundup

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’s More Food Africa programme funds £38m of farming equipment in ZimbabweZimbabwe is said to be receiving farming equipment worth $38m in September for the 2014/15 summer cropping, under Brazil’s ‘More Food Africa’ programme. This was announced at the 2nd National Dialogue on Agro-Business, Food and Nutrition Security organised by the National Economic Consultative Forum and the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society. The consignment forms part of the first tranche of a $98mil package signed by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, and Brazilian counterparts.
(AllAfrica)

 

Sichuan province eyes $300mil investment in Ugandan farming
The Agricultural Department of China's Sichuan province is in talks to invest $300 million in cotton, rice and fruit production in Uganda, a senior Ugandan official said on Wednesday. This is said to require 15,000 acres of land, which the Ugandan government is helping them to acquire. The plan is then to establish an “agricultural production and industrial park which will involve developing the whole value chain of cotton, rice and fruits."
(Reuters)

Mugabe secures Chinese support
Seeking to find $4 billion worth of funding to reinvigorate the Zimbabwean economy, Mugabe went on an official state visit to China last week. It is unclear how much was agreed upon, but a 9 large-scale projects were committed to by Chinese companies and ministries, some backed by China’s EXIM Bank. Among others, this included deals on telecommunications, power generation and the establishment of a petro-chemical industrial park.
(AllAfrica)

Second Brazil-Africa Forum looks at infrastructure & partnershipsThe Brazil-Africa Institute hosted its second Brazil Africa Forum last week in Fortaleza, under the title: ‘Infrastructure, Partnerships and Development’.
(Forum Brazil-Africa)
Brazil-North Africa projects
Following the Brazil-Africa Forum, the Algerian company Cevital said it was looking to increase investments in Brazil and develop areas such as transportation and logistics for grains and cereals (from Brazil) in its own country. The Brazilian Agroindustrial Company also spoke about its ongoing agricultural project in Sudan where its planted area has increased from 7,300 hectares in 2011 to 11,000 hectares this year growing grains and cotton as well as supplying knowledge and technology.
(Brazil-Arab News Agency)

Increased illegal logging in Mozambique sold to China
China, with its rapidly urbanizing population, is the world’s biggest importer of wood products. In its dealings with Mozambique, it is increasingly buying timber that is illegally harvested, according to a new report (pdf) by the Environmental Investigation Agency.(Quartz)

Brazil and Gates Foundation work on biofortified foods in DRC
The Brazilian development corporation EMBRAPA has been carrying out a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo to teach local researchers to measure the amount of carotenoids in biofortified foods such as the yellow cassava and sweet potatoes. The aim is to increase biofortification so as to overcome micronutrient deficiencies. The next stage of the course is estimated to cost $70-80,000 and so the article reports that project members “will turn to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for funding”.
(BrazzilMag)

By Henry Tugendhat

China and Brazil in African Agriculture: news roundup

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.

Brazilian development cooperation increases by 91%
Last week IPEA launched its report on Brazil’s international development cooperation spending in 2010. Brazilian investments in international development cooperation increased by 91% compared to the previous year, totalling R$ 1.6 billion.
(IPEA (pdf))

South Africa overtakes China to become Zimbabwe’s biggest tobacco buyer
South Africa has overtaken China as the biggest buyer of Zimbabwe’s tobacco as of last week. South Africa bought 10,432,871kg worth US$30,882,167,98,  whereas China was in fourth place (after Belgium and the UAE) having purchased 2,585,700kg. The statistics are from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB). However, China is said to account for 40% of the country’s tobacco output, and exports to the country are expected to peak as the year progresses.
(The Standard)

ProSavana meeting highlights policy objective differences
On 8 August, civil society groups and senior politicians met to discuss the ProSavana project. The National Director of Economy in Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture gave a speech contradicting ProSavana’s master plan, leaked several weeks ago, saying that part of its aim was to support smallholder farmers. When challenged on this contradiction, he replied that the government had not been formally shown the master plan and that he was simply expressing the government’s policy on ProSavana. He also agreed with criticisms of the lack of the project’s transparency. The official master plan is due to be released in October. In the meantime, the debate over ProSavana’s attitude towards smallholder farmers is expected to continue
(Mozambique News Reports and Clippings (pdf))

China Special Envoy on Sino-African trade
China Representative on African Affairs, Zhong Jianghua, rejects Nigerian minister’s claims that China is responsible for de-industrialisation, but agrees that African states should see Chinese businesses as competitors. In this interview with the African Research Institute, he also speaks specifically on the importance of agriculture in China’s cooperation with Africa and draws on experiences from when he was Ambassador to South Africa to highlight the challenges involved.
(African Research Institute)


Chinese beef market soars
In response to growing beef consumption, Chinese agribusinesses are expanding overseas in partnerships with foreign beef suppliers. Chongqing Grain Group is one such state-owned business that is looking to invest in Australian cattle. At present, China consumes 5.6 million tons a year, which works out to about 4-5kg per person per year. This is around a fifth of the global average but is set to rise.
(MercoPress)

Brazil’s debt restructuring with Africa benefits trade with Brazilian businesses
Following Dilma Rousseff’s decision to restructure debts with many African partners a few weeks back, this article suggests that Brazilian businesses have already directly benefited from the move. Some countries pardoned, such as Senegal, have spent more on Brazilian products than the value of the debts cancelled.  Defending the controversial decision to pardon so much debt, many Brazilian diplomats were also said to have stressed that it was important to facilitate Brazilian investments in those countries, since they were already being courted by others, especially China.
(Folha de S.Paulo - in Portuguese)

Can Tanzania learn from China’s success story?
This article draws on a point from Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Dr. Lu Yongqing, that China was able leverage big companies into fighting poverty in China, and suggests that Tanzania should learn from them. The second part of the article looks at China’s engagements in Tanzania, and says it was there for Tanzania “at a time when richer ‘development partners’ refused to listen.” It looks at how much China is trading with the country but suggests China could do more in terms of helping Tanzania develop value added industries, potentially drawing on the agricultural sector.
(IPPmedia.com)

The China-African Development Fund: a closer look
A new working paper from the Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch explores the role of the China-African Development Fund (CADFund). Dr. Sven Grimm and Elizabeth Schickerling compare CADFund’s role as a sovereign wealth fund with that offered by Norway (Norfund), and propose that CADFund include African-owned businesses and do more public engagement to be of greater value.
(CCS (pdf))

By Henry Tugendhat

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.

Africa, an emerging ‘green revolution’?

This news roundup has been collected on behalf of the China and Brazil in African Agriculture (CBAA) project.

Lidia Cabral is consulted in this article on agricultural development programmes in Africa. She traces some of the key projects that have emerged over the past few years, and introduces some of the research she has been conducting on the ProSavana programme in Mozambique.
(Publico – in Portuguese)

China in Africa: How Sam Pa became the middle man

This op-ed in the Financial Times seeks to unravel a large network of business ventures and connections around a successful Chinese businessman in Africa called Sam Pa (???). The article looks at some of his dealings with government officials and international business colleagues, including his role in a deal he made between Sinopec and Angola’s state oil company Sonangol. It gives an interesting perspective on a high profile Chinese migrant to Africa and the role that brokers may play between the different state and business actors.
(Financial Times)

Brazil to support coffee and soybean projects in Angola

The Brazilian ambassador to Angola has committed Brazilian support to increased agricultural cooperation between the two countries. Embrapa already provides support in Angola’s agronomic and veterinary research institutes, and their mention in this article seems to suggest they would be part of further agricultural cooperation programmes.
(Macau Hub)

6th China-IFAD South-South Cooperation Conference

August 4: the Vice-Chairman of China’s Ministry of Finance took part in the 6th China-IFAD South-South Cooperation Conference in Maputo. It involved the participation of Mozambique, Burundi, Ethiopia, Egypt and 13 other African countries, along with representatives from over 70 organisations. The conference revolved around a “sharing of experience and deepening cooperation”, which looked at the construction of agricultural infrastructure, technology extension and rural reforms. 5-day conference finished with a visit to Mozambique’s ATDC and Wanbao farm.
(IFAD)

Rice joint-venture in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christopher Mutsvangwa, has signed a deal with Chinese hybrid rice company, Yuan Longping Hi-Tech to start a pilot hybrid rice production project. If the tests are successful, both sides have agreed to form a joint venture company to implement large scale hybrid rice production. This also aims to enhance food security and develop Zimbabwe’s domestic rice sector as it has become a staple food for many. Mutsvangwa “signed an MOU on behalf of his firm, Moncris Private Limited while Prof Longpin signed for the National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, under a deal which was approved by Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made.”
(AllAfrica)

US-Africa Summit

The US has announced $17bil in investment pledges in the conclusion of its US-Africa summit involving 50 African states. This summit appeared to bring the discussion more towards trade and investment, and away from the language of aid and donors. In a strong critique, Zainab Usman looks at the conference in the context of other regions’ recent engagements with Africa, in particular those of China. In this context she asks if the recent US summit was merely “too little, too late”.
Overview (Reuters)
Critique by Zainab Usman (Al Jazeera)

Will China be buying African Rice?

In this blog post, Deborah Brautigam disputes the idea that China has started importing African rice. She cites work from Adama Wade’s recent study on Chinese rice projects in Senegal.
(International Policy Digest)

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.

by Henry Tugendhat, Research Officer, KNOTS

Livelihood pathways after land reform in Zimbabwe

Understanding livelihood pathways requires sustained fieldwork in particular sites in order to understand what changes and why. Systematic longitudinal studies are sadly rare in many developing country settings. Project grants for a few years are insufficient to sustain the research effort required. Long term studies are especially important when major changes have occurred. We cannot understand their impact unless influences are tracked over time, discovering new pathways as they unfold.

Such long-term work has been ongoing in Masvingo province in Zimbabwe since 2000, led by myself with a team of Zimbabwean colleagues – BZ Mavedzenge, Felix Murimbarimba and Joseph Mahenehene. Over the last 14 years the team has been tracking 400 households across 15 sites, and finding out what has happened to people’s livelihoods in areas taken as part of Zimbabwe’s radical land reform that unfolded from 2000.

There is no simple story, and there’s much complexity. Diverse livelihood pathways can be identified: some have gained from land reform, while others have not. Outcomes are dependent on access to assets, income from off-farm activities, as well as hard work and luck. Livelihood pathways are constructed from many sources, and while patterns exist, there is huge variation across and within sites.

As processes of differentiation occur, new livelihood pathways are forged. Some are now moving into more commercial agriculture, while others are diversifying to off-farm activities, while some are combining farming on their new plots with selling labour to other farmers. Understanding agrarian change through a pathways lens helps link livelihoods – the specific day to day activities and strategies people employ to sustain themselves – with wider structural patterns of class formation, and the implications this has for patterns of accumulation and investment.

The results of the research to 2010 were published in the book Zimbabwe’s Land Reform: Myths and Realities. But much has happened in the years since. The economy has stabilised, and the disastrous hyperinflation was stopped with a new currency regime from 2009 and some level of political and economic stability has followed, even if disputes between the Zimbabwe government and the international community persist. The Masvingo studies are regularly updated with on-going surveys and focused studies, and the latest results were reported on the Zimbabweland blog in the last few months. A series of four blogs give an overview, starting here:

• How have the new farmers fared? An update on the Masvingo study I (Zimbabweland blog) – follow the links to the subsequent weeks for the rest of the series

Understanding new livelihood pathways is best done when comparing with others. Another set of studies has compared the Masvingo resettlement sites with nearby comparators. These are communal areas – rural areas where many of those in the new resettlements came from. The results show how gaining access to land has been an important boost to livelihoods, creating new pathways, when compared with communal area comparators. Again, another series of five blogs was recently posted, highlighting the results:

• Comparing communal areas and new resettlements in Zimbabwe I: An introduction to a short blog series (Zimbabweland blog) – again follow the links for the full series

While a focused provincial study cannot tell us about what has happened in other areas of the country, the longitudinal and comparative studies offer important insights into new pathways of livelihoods following land reform.

by Ian Scoones, Director of STEPS Centre

17 July: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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.

China’s New White Paper on Foreign Aid
China’s second white paper on foreign aid has been published, wherein China is shown to have provided RMB 89.34 billion in the three years from 2010-2012. The report includes sections on agriculture and environmental protection and the blog below provides an interesting analysis of the report.

• Xinhua – in Chinese / Xinhua – in English
• China in Africa: the Real Story blog

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania criticises Chinese migrants
China’s ambassador to Tanzania, Lu Youqing, gave an interview to Southern Metropolis Daily, in which he talks of the positives that China has brought to the country, such as adding 150,000 jobs locally, and becoming the country’s biggest trading partner. However, he talks of the difficulties with the Chinese migrants that have come to the country and had pejorative dealings with local government officials and others that fail to respect the local laws.
(Southern Metropolis Daily)

China Zimbabwe hybrid rice project
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Agriculture and a local private consultation firm have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China’s National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center to start a pilot hybrid rice production project. A team of Chinese technical experts are due to visit Zimbabwe in the third week of July to plan the project. The local firm is tasked with providing land, labour, logistical support and seek government support.
(Oryza.com)

New IDS Bulletin: ‘China and International Development’
This IDS Bulletin focuses on China’s development strategy and its own development experience, its increasing involvement in development activities in low- and middle-income countries, as well as its collaboration with OECD-DAC members in international development, and its growing engagement in global governance structures.
(Institute of Development Studies)

Should Zimbabwe adopt GM Crops?
In this article,Ian Scoones discusses the politics and science around genetically-modified (GM) crops, arguing that although they has the potential to bring socio-economic benefits, they should not be viewed as the only choice. Rather, GM crops have their limitations and there are equally important non-GM possibilities being driven by the bioscience sector for example. As such “We should always avoid being pushed in a singular direction by those who are (mis)using the authority of science, without a proper and open debate.”
(Think Africa Press)

Climate Smart Agriculture in Brazil, Ethiopia and New Zealand
A new report by CGIAR looks at how policy makers in Brazil, Ethiopia and New Zealand have promoted ‘Climate Smart Agriculture’ into their national policies. This report seeks to use these case studies to suggest how other countries might also promote similar policies.
(CCAFS)

BICS in Health, Agriculture and Food Security
This paper presents a literature review of what is known about the characteristics of Brazilian, Chinese, Indian and South African development cooperation in the sectors of health and agriculture and food security. It involves several citations from the CBAA project amid a number of other sources. The research examines the characteristics (actors, motivation, objectives) and specific attention is given to development cooperation in health in Mozambique, and agriculture and food security in Malawi.
(Zunia)

BRICS Trade Agreements and Development Bank
The BRICS Summit currently taking place in Foraleza, Brazil, is due to emerge with a global trade pact. This comes amid concerns by India regarding agricultural subsidies that it regards as important for its own food security and poverty alleviation issues. Separately, it has also been announced that a BRICS development bank is due to launch with its head office in Shanghai, and US$100bn in startup capital.

• Trade Agreements (The Malay Mail)
• BRICS Bank (Financial Times)

By Henry Tugendhat

The EU-Brazil partnership on development: a lukewarm affair

Lidia Cabral, researcher with our China & Brazil in African Agriculture project, has written a policy brief for the think tank FRIDE assessing the limited success of the EU-Brazil strategic partnership on international development.

In particular, the brief identifies problems with a 'North/South' discourse which persists in spite of the changing dynamics of power and influence across continents.

From the brief:
"Much of the debate is infused by a discourse that, by juxtaposing 'North' versus 'South' and 'traditional' versus 'emerging' players, places Brazil and the EU on opposing sides. Yet, there are opportunities to build alliances around specific thematic issues, such as the global fight against hunger. With regard to trilateral cooperation, the analysis reveals a mismatch between high-level pledges and motivations on the one hand and on-the- ground operational capacity on the other. It also shows a fading emphasis on this modality of engagement. There is still scope, nonetheless, for joint learning on trilateral cooperation."

The EU-Brazil partnership on development: a lukewarm affair (FRIDE website)

7 July: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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

Zimbabwe to Follow Brazilian model of ethanol fuel blending
Zimbabwe’s Agriculture and Rural Development Authority board chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza has said that his country would move from the use of an E15 ethanol blend to an E85 ethanol blend in their cars, to cut down on imported fossil fuels (the number refers to the percentage of ethanol versus petrol). The chairman accepted that some car manufactures will have to readjust, but affirmed that “Zimbabwe has the same opportunity as Brazil to develop a dynamic biofuel industry to serve not only its own fuel needs but the region as well.”
(Manica Post)

Zimbabwe’s Alliance of Anhui-based investors growsThe Alliance of Anhui-Based Investors was established last year and has since then facilitated 37 Anhui companies’ engagement in Zimbabwean markets, with investment contracts worth $17m. These contracts have been signed with business and government leaders, and agriculture is listed as one of the areas of cooperation.
(Anhui News)

Zimbabwe’s tobacco sales exceed expectations
“The sales of tobacco in Zimbabwe reached 190 million kg, which has surpassed this year’s target of 180 million kg, as the country’s 2014 tobacco auction marketing season will end soon, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) announced Thursday.” This was sold for $604.7m and compares with 166m kg sold in 2013 for $616m. The article cites China as Zimbabwe’s biggest buyer of tobacco.
(Coastweek.com)

Brazil seeks greater agro-business ties with Angola
The Brazilian ambassador to Angola recently stressed the need for stronger ties between the two countries, during which she stressed the potential role of agro-business. She also spoke of a biofuel project in Angola that is currently being supported by Brazil.
(AllAfrica)

‘China’s hunger for foreign food groups soars’
17% of China’s outbound mergers and acquisitions (M&As) this year have been in the food and beverage industries, almost matching M&As in the energy sector which has traditionally been China’s biggest. The targets are a mixture of winemakers, consumer goods and agricultural raw materials. The main buyers are both national state owned enterprises such as COFCO, and local governments such as Shanghai municipal government, but private companies are beginning to increase their activities too.
(Financial Times)
Comparing Chinese and Japanese Power Tillers in Tanzania
This paper by PhD student Andrew Agyei-Holmes looks at Chinese and Japanese power tillers in Tanzania and argues that despite the Chinese tillers being of lower quality, they are more accessible in terms of cost and maintenance, which has led to their much greater success with Tanzanian famers.
(Globelics Academy (pdf))
5 Challenges for Chinese agricultural policy
China’s Minister of Agriculture, Han Changfu, has outlined 5 key challenges for Chinese agriculture that should not be underestimated. They include: 1) increased droughts and floods, 2) downward pressure on agriculture prices, 3) difficulty raising rural incomes, 4) the complexity of rural reforms, 5) food safety and animal disease. This blog argues that Han’s simultaneous call for increased large-scale production in China is bound to make it even harder to meet these targets.
(Dim Sums blog)

Why China wants African students to learn Mandarin
Kenneth King has written a piece on the importance of promoting Chinese language and culture as part of its engagements with Africa. The article lists several key statistics regarding China’s education engagements with Africa reflecting the scale of these interactions.
(The Week)

25 June: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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

China’s sovereign wealth fund shifts focus to agriculture
“China’s sovereign wealth fund is shifting its focus to invest in agriculture and global food supplies in a significant strategic move that reflects the priorities of the country’s new leadership.” The China Investment Corporation (CIC) will focus on irrigation, land transformation and animal feed production among other areas across value chains. CIC has roughly $650bn of assets under management of $200bn is invested outside the country. Alongside this article in the Financial Times, the Chairman of CIC has had a blog published with his own commentary on the news entitled ‘China will profit from feeding the world’s appetite’.

• Financial Times (requires registration)
• CIC Chairman’s blog (farmlandgrab.org)

World Food Programme explains Brazil’s PAA (Purchase from Africans for Africa) Programme in Ethiopia
Further to last week’s mention of the Purchase from Africans for Africa programme in Ethiopia, this article on the World Food Programme’s (WFP) website gives a more detailed report on what is expected. Aiming to benefit 10,000 people, the programme is receiving support from the WFP and the FAO. It is expected that 37,500 metric tons of local grains will be purchased as part of the programme.
(World Food Programme)

‘No to ProSAVANA’ campaign video
The ‘No to ProSAVANA’ campaign has made a video about their protest aimed at recruiting more farmers and supporters to their cause. It accuses the ProSAVANA project of neo-colonialism and portrays the situation as a struggle for farmers to defend their land against what looks to be an impending take over by foreign business.
(Farmlandgrab.org)

Zimbabwe-China agricultural machinery corruption case
Joseph Made, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Agriculture, is being accused of corruption having signed off on an agriculture deal with the partly state-owned Chinese telecommunications company, ZTE Corporation without having opened the deal up to tender. It is said to be worth $100mil and the equipment would be released once the Zimbabwean government paid 15% of the total value into ZTE’s account held by the China EXIM bank. The article also raises questions over why the equipment in the deal is for construction rather than agriculture.
(Financial Gazette)

Ghana-China cocoa joint venture under investigation
Ghana’s former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, is defending herself in court over a joint venture in cocoa processing signed by an NGO she runs and a Chinese agriculture and fisheries company. The case involves concessionary loans offered by China’s EXIM Bank in 1998 and the Chinese counterparts pulled out of the project due to political interference according to the article.
(GhanaWeb)

The Relevance of Chinese Agricultural Technologies for African Smallholder Farmers
This report published by Stellenbosch’s Centre for Chinese studies in 2009 might be of relevance for those working on technology transfer. It breaks down over a dozen different forms of agricultural technology and looks at them in the context of the markets they exist in and future prospects
(Centre for Chinese Studies (pdf download))
‘Chinese Migrants and Africa's Development: New Imperialists or Agents of Change?’

Giles Mohan, Ben Lampert, May Tan-Mullins and Daphne Chang have just published a new book that seeks to “systematically study the motivations, relationships and impact of this [Chinese] migration. It focuses not just on the Chinese migrants but also on the perceptions of, and linkages to, their African 'hosts'. By studying this everyday interaction we get a much richer picture of whether this is South-South cooperation, as political leaders would have us believe, or a more complex relationship that can both compromise and encourage African development.”
(Zed Books)

China’s Second Continent: How a million migrants are building a new empire
The New York Times journalist, Howard French, has just written a book on Chinese engagements in Africa, focusing largely on interviews with economic migrants..
(Random House publishers)

By Henry Tugendhat

16 June: China and Brazil in African agriculture - news roundup

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

‘Estimating China’s Foreign Aid 2001-2013’
A new working paper by Naohiro Kitano and Yuiknori Harada at JICA has published revised estimates of China’s current aid disbursements. However, they have also presented the data in such a way that it allows a direct comparison with ODA net disbursements according to DAC definitions which has not been done before. The results suggest that net aid totalled $7.1bn in 2013 and that if placed within the list of DAC countries, then China moved from being the 16th biggest donor in 2001, to the 6th biggest donor in 2013. The results are based upon mixture of publically available data and informed estimates.

• Estimating China's Foreign Aid 2001-2013 (working paper)
• JICA: Excellent New Estimates for Chinese Aid (China in Africa – The Real Story blog)

Forthcoming Brazil-Africa agricultural research agenda publishedThe Agricultural Innovation MKTPlace programme that forms research collaborations between African institutions and Brazil (usually EMBRAPA) has published the preliminary list of research projects and partnerships for the coming year.
(Agricultural Innovation MKTPlace)

Brazilian support for small-scale farming in Africa
Brazil’s ambassador to Ethiopia claims that the PAA programme (Purchase from Africans for Africa / Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos) been successful for smallholder farmers in the 5 countries it currently operates in: Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Niger and Senegal. She announced that there were plans to expand the programme in Ethiopia, which currently operates mainly in the south of the country.
(AllAfrica)

Chinese agricultural engagements in Mozambique
The Chinese news agency Xinhua has published a series of articles on Chinese engagements in Mozambican agriculture. They all report successes of Chinese projects in the region and two of the articles cite Sergio Chichava, a partner on our research project.

• China-Africa Cotton Development Co.
• Wanbao Grains and Oils project
• Wanbao’s technology transfer
• Lianhe Africa Agriculture Development Co.

China-Africa blog
Li Xiaoyun, Richard Carey and Yunnan Chen have published a blog on ‘China-Africa cooperation and the modernisation of a continent’. It puts forward that China’s planned infrastructure developments on the continent are a form of public entrepreneurship that will serve to modernise the continent. They also argue that China is proving its commitment to Africa’s economic growth by the size of its investments of money and peacekeeping troops but that a convergence of agendas between China and its African partners will be needed for greater success.
(IDS Globalisation and Development blog)

Large-scale vs. Small-scale farming in China
This blog article looks at the debates currently going on in China between those advocating large-scale farming and those highlighting its problems. The blog also presents studies that argue there is relatively little difference in yields and costs between the two sizes of farms. It would be interesting to see whether these debates also take place with respect to the farming models being exported by Chinese institutions to Africa.
(Dim Sums)
Is the World Bank facilitating land grabs?
In a publication called ‘Wilful Blindness’, 180 organisations comprised of unions, farmers and consumer groups, and NGOs have called on the World Bank to stop publishing its ‘Doing Business Rankings’ as they argue this has facilitated foreign land grabs and thereby damaged local communities.

• Wilful blindness at the World Bank (Farmlandgrab.org)
• Is the World Bank enabling agribusiness land grabs? (Farmlandgrab.org)

Brazil and China partnerships on Mozambican hydropower plant
Mozambique is planning to build a new hydropower plant on the Zambezi river with transmission lines connecting Tete to the South Africa Power Pool. The project is to be developed as a public-private partnership involving the China Development Bank and the State Grid Company of China as the main shareholders and financiers of the project. Electrobras of Brazil will also be a minority shareholder.

• Strengthening Support for Regional Projects: Background Note (World Bank)

By Henry Tugendhat

4 June: China and Brazil in African Agriculture - news roundup

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

China provides grant for Agricultural development in the Maldives

China has provided 1mil RMB ($160,000) grant aid to the Maldives for it to develop its agricultural sector. This appears to be intended for research among other activities related to the Maldives agricultural sector specifically, but there are few details at present.
(Miadhu.com)

Does Fairtrade work?This four-year research project conducted in Ethiopia and Uganda to understand how global trade in agricultural commodities affects the lives of the poor in Africa, especially through wage employment. They have just published some of their findings from this research that show how those working on fair-trade farms are often paid less than those on large-scale farming operations, who can afford to pay more and give more stable employment.

(The Guardian / Project homepage)

China’s investments in Zimbabwe up 5000% in 5 years

According to the Chinese embassy in Harare, Chinese investments have risen from $11.2mil to $602mil in just 5 years. Zimbabwe’s proportion of Chinese investments into Africa went up from 0.8% of $1.43bil five years ago to 17.2% of $3.5bil last year making China’s largest African recipient of FDI now.
(Zimbabwe Chronicle)

Zimbabwe gives preferential treatment to Chinese investors

Zimbabwean Indigenisation Minister, Francis Nhema, said that the government will enact legislation to give preferential treatment to Chinese investors. This comes as part of wider reforms to the indigenisation law which means not all businesses have to cede 51% of shares to locals. China is particularly favoured because it has been a source of investment during the years of Western sanctions on Zimbabwe.
(Zimbabwe Daily News)

China-Mozambique: new book by Chichava and Alden

Sergio Chichava and Chris Alden have just published a new book together called ‘China and Mozambique: From Comrades to Capitalists’ looking at the history and nature of their engagements.
(Jacana Bookslive blog)

Is South-South agricultural cooperation innovative?

Jean-Jacques Gabas and Frédéric Goulet have published an article that looks at the question ‘Is South-South agricultural cooperation innovative? A comparative analysis of Chinese and Brazilian cooperation in Southern and West Africa’. This piece broadly compares their respective approaches towards aid, trade and investment.
Chinese and Brazilian Agricultural Co-operation in Africa (Cairn.info)

‘Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security’

The International Food and Policy Research Institute held a three-day conference in Addis Ababa about how resilience can be strengthened for food and nutrition security. The conference was welcomed by Prime Minister Desalegn who spoke of the need to strengthen food security in Ethiopia following the conference. Papers and Briefs from the conference can be found here.

• Papers
• Briefs
• Report on the conference (AllAfrica)

“We need more agribusiness in Africa”

Carlos Lopes, the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has published the following op-ed calling for more agribusiness in Africa along similar lines to that which China and Brazil have experienced in their own countries. He highlights untapped opportunities in land use, rapid urbanisation, and increased investment opportunities in infrastructure among other reasons as to why this should be a success.

(Morocco World News)