ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief overview of Chinese engagement in agriculture in Africa, and then a closer look at some of the key stories outlined above. It reviews the evidence marshalled to support the argument that the Chinese government, or its firms, were leading a land grab in Africa. The chapter argues that as of 2012, there was surprisingly little evidence to support this common belief. Fieldwork by a range of researchers has pointed to interest by Chinese firms in agricultural investment, along with firms from many different countries. The chapter relies on fieldwork conducted between 2007 and 2011 in China and a number of African countries, including Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Zambia, as well as earlier research on this subject between 1983 and 1995. China’s agricultural engagement in Africa involves foreign aid, government-sponsored bilateral co-operation based on mutual benefit, private investment and trade.
