The Agence Francaise de Developpement published in May 2013 a paper titled "
South-South Cooperation and New Agricultural Development Aid Actors in Western and Southern Africa: China and Brazil - Case Studies." The authors are Jean-Jacques Gabas and Frederic Goulet. The goal of the study is to better understand as a result of missions in Senegal, Benin, Ghana and Mozambique the scope and methods of Chinese and Brazilian cooperation interventions in western and southern Africa's agricultural sector.
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| Brazil pavilion at 2010 Shanghai Expo. Flickr/thewamphyri |
The study notes that China has had 50 years experience in agricultural development in Africa and its projects have remained largely unchanged in form over these years. China develops large farms and irrigation projects and invests mainly in rice, cotton and sugar production and in processing industries.
China only recently has become involved in triangular cooperation with other donors, most frequently with international institutions such as the Food and Agricultural Organization and less commonly bilaterally with countries like the UK.
Multiple Chinese stakeholders intervene in the agricultural sector without any real coordination. Their interventions are increasingly managed by major public and private Chinese companies as well as by development banks. Financing agricultural and rural developments is increasingly tied to other infrastructure projects through concessional loans.
Much criticism has been directed towards China's technical cooperation where dialogue remains difficult and where extension services are becoming fee based.
