Examiner

by Nick Doms

African officials, including embassy officials, expressed their concerns about the current US-China relationship and the negative impact this may create for agricultural development projects in Africa, according to a leaked cable earlier this year.

Earlier this year, Julius Ole Sunkuli, Kenyan Ambassador to China, expressed his concern about the US-China dialogue about Africa and how the US/European approach or the “Western approach” as Mr. Sunkuli referred to in his memo would be disruptive to the Chinese practical approach in developmental assistance throughout Africa.

South African diplomats joined Mr. Sunkuli and stated that Africa may lose its bargaining power due to Western interference and the tensions between the US and China in particular.

China has been leasing large plots of land for agricultural development and is viewed by African leaders as a more positive development than the infrastructure projects that were initiated by Europe and the US but later abandoned.

India and Saudi Arabia have joined China in their quest to secure land deals with a 50 year lease agreement in exchange for agricultural development under the leadership of African nations who prefer the Asian or Middle East cooperative initiatives over the US or European donations.

In exchange for China’s cooperation, Africa is willing to grow crops needed to evade or avoid a possible food crisis that is lingering around the corner. China’s crop yield in 2010 was severely hampered by extreme weather conditions in the northern and southern region and has seen a 20% rise in local food prices as a direct result.

India is struggling with high food prices and inflationary pressures due to the agricultural commodities prices and the discrepancy between supply and demand.

Africa has welcomed any country to invest directly in its agricultural development plans and is willing to export the surplus of its food supply to those that invest directly in its developmental needs rather than promised infrastructure plans that do not benefit the African nations directly.

The cables that were leaked early this year clearly show the tension between East and West and the focus is definitely on crops, yields and food supply in general and it seems that China is ahead of the game in 2011: high inflation due to a food war caused by shortages, high commodity prices and demand exceeding supply.

http://www.examiner.com/international-trade-in-national/us-china-relation-impacts-african-agricultural-development-projects