Feeding Frenzy: China, Africa, and the 'Great Land Grab'

USC Dornsife's Center for International Studies presents a talk by Deborah Brautigam on the affairs of China in the African continent

Deborah Brautigam, Ph.D, professor of International Development and Comparative Politics at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

See her biography here

See Professor Brautigam's discussion of her book The Dragon's Gift with the USC U.S.-China Instutute in January, 2010.

What role does China play in the recent rush for land acquisition in Africa? Conventional wisdom suggests a large role for the Chinese government and its firms. Our research suggests the opposite. Land acquisitions by Chinese companies have so far been quite limited, and focused on production for African consumption. This talk traces the evolution of strategy and incentives for Chinese agricultural engagement in Africa, and examines more closely several of the more well-known cases, sorting out the myths and the realities.