Chinese Friendship Farms are part of the agricultural cooperation of the People's Republic of China with many African states. Some of the numerous projects started as development aid, other (and later) engagements lost this aspect. [1]
Background
editIn sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture in many countries struggles to adapt to the variability of natural conditions, limiting planting to the rainy season and making cultivation nearly impossible during the dry season. The prevalence of monoculture also hampers farmers' ability to increase their income, regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad. Additionally, the utilization rate of arable land remains low in some regions. For instance, the ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to China proposed in 2018 that China assist in developing local arable land under the Belt and Road Initiative. Before this, the agricultural utilization rate in the DRC was less than 10%. Recognizing these challenges, Chinese state-owned enterprises decided to leverage their agricultural expertise to introduce more diverse cropping patterns and crop varieties in the region.[2]Many of these efforts are part of China's broader aid to Africa, with the land typically leased from local governments. To attract foreign agricultural investment, countries like Zambia and Mozambique have implemented relevant investment regulations and offered tax incentives.[3]
Achievements
editChina has established several "Friendship Farms" in countries such as Zambia and Mozambique. In Zambia, China Agricultural Reclamation Group and Jiangsu Agricultural Reclamation Group invested in a friendship farm in 1994, covering 6,850,000 square meters, of which 4,100,000 square meters are cultivable. The farm sows 3.8 million square meters during the rainy season and reduces the sown area to 3.06 million square meters during the dry season, utilizing sprinkler irrigation to grow maize and wheat. As a result, the farm produced over 1,000 tons of crops annually during the 1990s. Similar farms were established by Jiangsu Nongken Group and China Nongken Group in Zambia later in the 20th century.[4]
In Mozambique, a Friendship Farm was developed through a collaboration between a Chinese enterprise from Hubei province and the local Zaga provincial government. The Hubei Provincial Bureau of Reclamation undertook construction and field surveys, with the farm officially beginning operations in April 2007. Since then, over 3,000 local technicians have been trained. These farms also cultivate cash crops.[5]The farm established by China National Reclamation Group (CNRG) in Tanzania in 1999 primarily focuses on sisal, while the Friendship Farm in Zimbabwe, built by Zhangji Farm from Hubei Province, focuses on tobacco. These projects often benefit neighboring local farmers as well, with high-quality agricultural products being purchased by entities such as China National Reclamation Group.[6]Since 2008, China Agricultural Development Group has established seven Friendship Farms in countries like Guinea, Gabon, and Ghana, growing crops such as wheat, surplus rice, soybeans, gaoliang, sisal, and sudangrass by 2019.[7]However, the lack of local infrastructure for warehousing, logistics, and processing often requires Chinese assistance, underscoring the public welfare aspect of these projects. The unstable business environment in countries like Central Africa, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar has also affected related industries, with some projects even forced to halt completely.[8]
Originally this farm was set up in the context of China–Africa Friendship Cooperation. There was not so much economic interest involved … [yet] although Lianfeng was established for a specific state purpose, we are still an enterprise.’
— A Chinese farm team-leader accd. to Brautigam, 2012 [9]
Official Chinese government information from 2006 claims that through agricultural cooperation between China and Africa 40 countries could establish "agro technology pilot or demonstration farms and promotion stations under nearly 200 cooperation programs and carried out 23 fishery cooperation projects with 13 African countries." Exchange of technical staff is also an important part of the cooperation (more than 10 000 Chinese specialists sent to Africa).[10] Academic findings from 2009, claim that 14 such agro-technical demonstration stations had been started by China. [11]
The employment mix between Chinese and local African workers varies between projects, yet many projects have a significant positive employment effect in their regions.[1] [12]
Chinese agricultural investment has to be analysed in the global context. It has received (mostly unfairly) exceptional international media coverage. [13]
Staffing Structure
editEach Friendship Farm typically operates with a small management team. For example, the farm located on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia's capital, has only five managers, with the rest of the staff comprising Chinese technicians and locally employed farmers. In contrast, China National Reclamation Group's sisal farm in Tanzania employs a six-person senior management team and a middle management team, with most of the remaining hundreds of long-term and short-term workers being local farmers.[14]
Examples
editThe list of projects is long, yet here are a few illustrative examples
- Wanbao Rice Farm, Mozambique, rice [9]
- China-Zambia Friendship Farm, 630 ha, renewable 99 years lease[15]
- Hanhe Farm, Uganda, mushrooms and others, 160 ha [16]
- Hubei-Gaza Friendship Farm, Rwanda, rice,[17]
- Anié Sugar Complex, Togo, sugar cane, 1 300 ha [1]
A comprehensive list of investments can be found in the book 'Will Africa feed China?'[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Brautigam, Deborah (2015). Will Africa feed China?. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199396863.
- ^ 到非洲创业: 一个不容忽视的新兴市场 (in Chinese). 经济日报出版社. 2001. ISBN 978-7-80127-771-8. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ 2008辽宁省农村经济发展研究 (in Chinese). 辽宁大学出版社. 2008. ISBN 978-7-5610-5627-1. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ 同心若金: 中非友好关系的辉煌历程 (in Chinese). 世界知识出版社. 2006. p. 301. ISBN 978-7-5012-2990-1. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ "荆楚稻飘香非洲大地 莫桑比克湖北加扎友谊农场水稻丰收". 湖北日报新闻客户端. 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ 经济全球化与中国农业企业跨国发展 (in Chinese). 中国农业出版社. 2004. p. 89. ISBN 978-7-109-09078-1. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ 联合国粮食及农业组织 中国农业出版社 (2023). 中国和南非投资者视角下的对非农业境外投资 (in Chinese). Food & Agriculture Org. p. 26. ISBN 978-92-5-136818-3. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ xiang, Z. (2013). 非洲经济评论: 2013. 2013 (in Chinese). 上海三联书店. ISBN 978-7-5426-4434-3. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ a b Brautigam, D.; Ekman, S.-M. S. (28 May 2012). "Briefing Rumours and realities of Chinese agricultural engagement in Mozambique". African Affairs. 111 (444): 483–492. doi:10.1093/afraf/ads030.
- ^ "Agricultural cooperation". www.fmprc.gov.cn. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.
- ^ Bräutigam, Deborah A.; Xiaoyang, Tang (2009). "China's Engagement in African Agriculture: "Down to the Countryside"". The China Quarterly. 199 (199): 686–706. doi:10.1017/S0305741009990166. ISSN 0305-7410. JSTOR 27756497. S2CID 153474369.
- ^ "Chinese Farmers toil in Africa". youtube. New China TV. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Swanson, Ana. "An incredible image shows how powerful countries are buying up much of the world's land". Washington Post.
- ^ China. 國務院; China. 國務院. 秘書廳; China. 国务院. 办公厅 (2000). 中華人民共和國國務院公報 (in Chinese). 中華人民共和國國務院秘書廳. p. 9-PP1. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ Chatelard, Solange Guo; Chu, Jessica M. (2015). "Chinese Agricultural Engagements in Zambia: A Grassroots Analysis" (PDF). The China Africa Research Initiative by the Johns Hopkins University (4). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ Maiyo, Joshua. "The Political Ecology of Chinese Investment in Uganda: the Case of Hanhe Farm" (PDF). China-Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University - Policy Brief.
- ^ "China's hybrid rice sows hope for Africa". The New Times | Rwanda. 6 September 2019.