Chinese Agribusiness, a
model in Africa
The
executive secretary of the economic Committee of United Nations for Africa
(CEA)( ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION), Carlos Lopes, invited the African countries
to be inspired by the Chinese agribusiness model of transformation, in the
opening on Monday in Malabo, in Equatorial Guinea, of a session of Ministers of
Foreign Affairs in prelude at the top of the heads of state and of the
government planned on June 26th and 27th.
A convenient change,
crucial for Agribusiness in China
The
executive secretary of CEA(ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION) justifies its
recommendation by by reminding that " the majority of the workers of the
Chinese Agribusiness industry were farmers 25 years ago. The levels of poverty
at that time, in relative terms, were higher than in Africa. The Chinese
favored a massive migration towards urban areas in favor of infant industries
".
According
to him, " the conjugation of this massive migration and an increase of the
agricultural productivity was the turning point of the reduction of the poverty
in China and was translated by a growth of the GDP(GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT) which
passed from 3,8 % in 1990 to approximately 10 % two decades later".
Africa has to look at
China Agribusiness model
For Carlos
Lopes, «one of the big differences between China and Africa is that China
showed determination in its politics of Agribusiness and not simply
"will" to follow a path which would strengthen its growth and its
structural transformation. Its leaders had a vision, which was successful, but
same in China, the change is again imperative and convenient".
He quoted
five common conditions for a successful agricultural transformation, which
Africa does not manage to perform: the macroeconomic and political stability,
the acquisition of effective technologies, the access to markets and
convenience stores, clarity of the land diets and the ease of the industrial
initiative, then the job creation except the farming sector. In China
Agribusiness filled these conditions and we can see it in the convenience store
all over China now.
