Analysis
Apart from the introduction and the conclusion, the book has eight main chapters. The introduction provides a brief about the different agricultural aspects of the Chinese people in Africa, providing facts to the myths alleged by the western media. Chapter one delves into the relations between Mozambique, a southeastern African country in Africa, and China. The focus is on the attempts by the Chinese government to acquire pieces of land along the Zambezi River, a large source of irrigation water. It analyses the facts from the stories told to establish the Chinese agricultural investments in Mozambique throughout the years.
The second chapter highlights the impacts of famine on the Chinese in the past and their rising need to ensure food security, to which the African continent offers the solution because poverty levels in Africa prohibit them from investing in agriculture ( Cameroon). In the third chapter, the focus is on the African grain seed, which china believes in investing in modern agricultural technology to boost its production because, in the past, the production of African grains has been on the decline. The fourth chapter highlights the foreign agricultural aid given by the Chinese government to African countries, which is slowly turning out to be a way of settling Chinese farmers in African countries to increase food exportations. The fifth chapter elaborates on the increasing investments by the Chinese governments in agribusiness in multiple African countries through long-term land leases.
Chapter six focuses on the privatization of state-owned agribusiness companies by Chinese conglomerates in some African countries. The seventh chapter delves into the investment by the Chinese government in sugar production businesses in various African countries through the revival of old sugar factories. The eighth chapter describes the interest of Chinese investors in African biofuels, where in the past years, the investors have bought products from African farmers for their industries. In conclusion, the analysis is on the facts and fiction surrounding why china is investing in agricultural activities in Africa because china is historically associated with food insecurities.
Evaluation
The book’s purpose is achieved through brilliantly articulated and extensive empirical research. It will be a ground-breaking reference that provides a fresh perspective on Africa’s need for modernization and China’s increasingly globalized search for agricultural production. The African continent is regarded as a third-world continent that is in dire need of capitation to expand economically and technologically to have the ability to invest in large-scale agricultural activities, among others. However, Africa is rich in resources they cannot fully exploit due to a lack of funds to purchase adequate farm inputs, including fertilizers and seedlings (Jinyu and Lynch). On the other hand, China has enough machinery and capital to invest in agribusiness and ensure high food production for food securities hence their intentions to invest in African countries to boost their food production for their increasingly growing population. One uniting factor for the two countries is the food insecurities the two have suffered in the past years.
The book contributes to agriculture by describing the importance of agriculture in promoting the economic growth of the countries involved in farming. Increased agricultural activities boost food production, which is critical in sustaining food security for the citizens, and through exportations of the excess food products, the country generates income. Farmers also benefit from increased income when they are sustainable food producers through internal trade activities. Growth in the agriculture sector assists in reducing poverty levels because in return, it offers a reduction in food prices, and also income generated by both farmers and countries can be invested in modern agricultural technologies, which is rather expensive (.(109)
The author is very critical of how she evaluates the subject matter by remaining objective. She is analytical in comparing the facts and fiction surrounding the subject matter, which appears to be controversial. She reviews the acquired data quite extensively, highlighting why she is rather doubtful of what the western media accuses china of (Brown). She clarifies the four myths she considers most important, which include statements that the Chinese government is determined to acquire African land using government resources, that china has acquired large pieces of agricultural land in Africa and has already sent Chinese peasants to work there, and possibly settle there and finally claims, that Chinese are farming crops in Africa to export to china to help in sustaining food security. In her objectivity to the subject, she agrees that over the past few years, china has increased investment partnerships with African countries. Still, she disagrees with the myths mentioned above by western media. She states that she didn’t gather any factual evidence to support these claims. (175)
In her evaluation, the author has not omitted any facts and evidence. She has used accredited facts to investigate the fiction mentioned by the western nations that label china as a land grabber in Africa. In defending the myths from the facts, she uses tabled statistics to form the basis for her arguments. Throughout the book, she used interviews with various personnel associated with the china AAfricanglobal interactions to uncover the truth behind the myths the Western media mentioned. The author also conducts extensive research and gathers information in various African countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others (Brautigam 55).
Brautigam uses information from interviews she conducts with the various people she encounters in her research. In the book Brautigam’s acknowledgment section, she recognizes several people who gave her critical information during her interviews. One person who provided her with vital information on the controversial myths published by western media was an official from the ministry of agriculture in China. Brautigam is also very articulate in using tabulated statistics to indicate her findings throughout her research. For instance, according to the 3.1 table, the statistics indicated the major Chinese agricultural aid projects between China and African nations regarding rice growth (p39).
The information, evidence, and data provided by the author can be used in alternate ends by various investors and organizations. The subject discussed by the author is vast because it enlightens investors on the potential investment opportunities available in Africa, in the agricultural sector, among others. The information provided by the author is rather helpful for the United Nations. The UNEP can help combat poor climatic conditions in Africa, which has a major effect on the agricultural sector.
The author’s writing style is rather unclear, so it’s a little confusing for the reader at the beginning chapters because it presents some flashbacks of characters, creating an incoherent flow at the beginning of the book. The book could be more effective in convincing and outlining to the readers the benefits china is likely to get from investing in the African nations. However, it effectively describes the facts surrounding the allegations the Western media created.
The book raises critical issues and topics of discussion, including how to increase production and combat food insecurities to ensure sustainable food security. Adapting innovations and technology in the agricultural sector would help African countries increase food production. According to Dongyu, implementing digital tools and better marketing strategies would promote the exportation of food products. It also raises the topic of international relations and the importance of educating farmers worldwide to help increase food production, communication, media, and economics. Through the studies of topics, an understanding of how china has risen over the years will become clear.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Brautigam emphasizes the power of Africans to influence local and international investors, foreign governments, and financial aid organizations. The author questions the widespread belief held by the Western media that Africa and Africans are merely victims and passive spectators of the Chinese actions. She argues that, contrary to this belief, several famous African investors willingly engage in operations with the Chinese and that these Africans can be easy. The states have started undertaking significant initiatives aimed at quick modernization. Conversely, there are numerous instances where locals have slowed down the work of foreign investors, including Chinese ones, with the help of local politicians and non-governmental organizations. Only a few initiatives are successful overall, and several projects underperform for various reasons, such as inadequate infrastructure, coups, disputed election results, and civil conflicts. Brautigam is a strong believer that the Chinese government has greatly assisted African countries in sustaining food security through the continuous foreign aid they offer the African countries. She believes that the Chinese are, in fact exporting food to Africa rather than Africa exporting food to China.
Works Cited
Brautigam Deborah. Will Africa feed Asia? Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 © Oxford University Press. 2015
Food security in Africa: African Development Bank provides around $13.5 million to boost food production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/food-security-africa-african-development-bank-provides-around-135-million-boost-food-production-democratic-republic-congo-53452. 2022
Lynch Leah and Chen Jinyu. Q&A: is china helping or hindering Africa’s efforts to future-proof food security? 2020
Q&A: Is China Helping or Hindering Africa’s Efforts to Future-proof Food Security?
Brown Nino. Five imperialist myths about China’s role in Africa. 2019
Dongyu, Qu. Africa’s new harvest: To transform agriculture, we must speed up innovations and collaboration. 2022
https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2022/africa%E2%80%99s-new-harvest-transform-agriculture-we-must-speed-innovations-and
How Governments and International Organizations Can Help to Give Effect to policies on selective expansion. (nd).
https://www.fao.org/3/x5576e/x5576e04.htm
write