Thread by @RuthHallPLAAS

WEBINAR: Chinese investments in African agriculture

Starting in a moment. Do join!

Several fabulous speakers including @PLAASuwc postdoc Dr George Mudimu @toveratm

@Peasant_Journal @D_Brautigam
plaas.org.za/webinar-chines…

@PLAASuwc @toveratm @Peasant_Journal @D_Brautigam You can still get the link to watch live here: uwc.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

'Touted as a new model for delivering agriculture aid to Africa, the ATDC is surrounded with much debate as with regards to the possibility of simultaneously delivering aid and achieving commercial goals.' - at webinar on Chinese investments in African agriculture

@FutureAgrics

$153 billion lent by Chinese agencies to African countries. Now, Agriculture Technology Demonstration Centres play a growing role in Chinese influence on agricultural practices, says Dr George Mudimu
@toveratm
@TNInstitute

What are the implications of China's model of setting up agricultural technology demonstration centres in Africa, and training small-scale farmers? These have substantial reach, but local people have limited input into design, and there's no perceptible influence on food prices.

The popular narrative that Chinese have displaced African farmers is not born out from studies in Zimbabwe & Zambia, says Dr Mudimu. @toveratm

Africa is not as important to China as the sinophobic narrative suggests. Only 6% of China's trade is with Africa. The neo-imperialism argument suggests it is more significant. In agriculture at least, the influence is on production systems through technology transfer.

What's missing from Chinese agritech transfer in Africa is building local capacity to manufacture the technology like machinery, says Edmore Mwandiringana. But instead of land grabbing, much investment is in contract farming linking small-scale farmers into value chains.

Chinese experts in demonstration centres for African farmers often lack knowledge on local conditions. Like any top-down development intervention, the presumption is that external knowledge is what’s missing, says Dr Nkumbu Nalwimba from Zambia

@nkumbu_nalwimba @IanScoones

The Chinese model promoted involves intensive farming practices suited to the Chinese context of land scarcity, but these are labour-demanding, and require machinery often not available - so many African farmers don’t adopt the practices the Chinese advocate. @nkumbu_nalwimba

Chinese agricultural demonstration centres form part of the 'soft' investment strategy to influence relations with African countries, says Dr Blessing Simura from Zimbabwe. One needs to understand this as part of an international relations and geopolitical strategy.

Elias Dafi, an econometrician, points out that the economic models promoted by the Chinese agritech demonstration centres often fall short because, while justified as promoting #foodsecurity, much of the contract farming is for cash crops, including for export.

What do Chinese govt & companies gain from providing agricultural technology demonstration centres in Africa? The panel now debates @PLAASuwc seminar. Among the answers: building clients for Chinese companies for input supply and technology, but also diplomatic leverage.

My question: What's the difference between relations between states, capital and citizens? Are we not seeing Chinese state institutions using ATDCs to create markets for Chinese private companies, using partnerships with African states to reach African citizens?

Are these models supporting capital accumulation among African farmers themselves, and local agricultural companies or competing with them? More debate on this, no doubt. Watch for the academic papers emerging from this study.

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ICYMI: You can now watch our webinar on Chinese investments in African agriculture here
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