Africa Debate questions China's role in Africa
China's role in Africa is the subject of the May edition of BBC Africa Debate in Lusaka, Zambia, on Friday 25 May 2012. Presented by BBC Africa's Akwasi Sarpong and editor of bbcchinese.com, Yuwen Wu, China in Africa: Partner or Plunderer? explores the pros and cons of China's active involvement in African development. BBC Swahili will be recording a debate on the same subject, presented by Odeo Sirari and Dinah Gahamanyi.
In 2006 China unveiled its policy on Africa and launched the massive China-Africa Development Fund aimed at promoting Chinese investment in Africa. Over the past three years, China has given more loans to developing countries, mainly in Africa, than the World Bank. During the past decade, trade between China and the continent has increased more than six-fold to $120bn in 2011, making Africa China's largest trade partner. Today, China is investing huge sums in African infrastructure.
While China's activity in Africa has been applauded by several African leaders, not everyone is happy with this 'partnership' – particularly in the West. In some cases, China is accused of aiding dictatorial regimes in Africa for its own interests and in the process harming the continent's quest for democracy and human rights.
China argues that all this is in line with its policy of 'non-interference', emphasising peaceful development, strategic partnerships and win-win solutions as alternatives to Western economic and political hegemony.
So is China a genuine partner or just a consumer – or as some say, plunderer – of Africa's resources? Who is benefiting from China's growth in Africa?
This edition of BBC Africa Debate will be recorded at Government Complex in Lusaka - a building which was commissioned more than 20 years ago by the government of Zambia. Completed recently by the Chinese government, the complex is described as one of the major Chinese government infrastructure projects in Zambia.
BBC Africa Debate senior producer, Rachael Akidi, says: 'China has a well-designed strategy for dealing with African countries, and is clear and open about its objectives in the continent. But what about African countries, what is their agenda in embracing China? In Lusaka, we'll be asking what is driving Africa's growing interest in China, and if African countries have clear strategies – or if they are just being courted by the emerging superpower's largesse dictated by its ambitions and strategy. Is China an opportunity for African countries to finally unlock their economic potential – or can it in fact hamper Africa's development?'
Presenters Akwasi Sarpong and Yuwen Wu will address these questions in front of an audience of about 100 invited guests including Zambian Vice President, Guy Scott, politicians, civil society activists, trade unionists, religious leaders, academics, students, leading journalists as well as Zambian and Chinese business executives.
This edition of BBC Africa Debate will be recorded on Friday 25 May at Government Complex, Lusaka. It will be broadcast by BBC World Service at 19.00 GMT on the same day. The programme will be repeated on Sunday 27 May at 13.00 GMT. BBC Swahili's debate will be recorded at the same location on Friday 25 May, and will be broadcast at 15.30 GMT on the ame day.
Each edition of BBC Africa Debate is broadcast from a different location in Africa. The G8 and Africa's Food Security: Time to Scale Up and Invest Up
By: Jane Karuku, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
In the lead up to the G8 Summit, AGRA stood with U.S. President Barak Obama and African heads of state to mark the launch of next phase of our shared commitment to achieving global food security. Focused on engaging the private sector in funding agricultural development, this initiative presents a new opportunity to find practical solutions to the devastating food crises that still plague Africa.
We have achieved common consensus on what needs to be done - what smallholder farmers in Ghana and the rest of the continent need: supportive policies, better seeds, access to finance, fertilizers, skills development and extension services, national research systems, and market infrastructure.
Early results, based on AGRA's efforts to meet these needs over the last five years, are very encouraging. Due to the collective efforts of African governments, the global donor community including the G8, research institutions, the private sector, farmers' organizations and NGOs, we have seen remarkable progress - but now we must redouble our efforts. At L'Aquila G8 countries stepped up, following Camp David they must scale up, speed up and invest up.
We are at a critical turning point. To make the most of recent momentum, G8 leaders, African governments and the private sector need to take the following steps to deliver lasting food-security solutions.
First G8 countries, African governments and the private sector need to put in place measures to ensure money is effectively dispersed. Multi-billion dollar commitments hold great promise, but only if they reach the farmers, researchers, agro-dealers, extension workers and others who are building Africa's agricultural economy. Realistic pledges with meaningful accountability are absolutely necessary.
Second, international and African governments need to build structures that funnel funds to agriculture's private sector economic development. Given the private-sector focus of the new initiative, it is critically important to scale up mechanisms, such as the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), that permit funding through the private sector or other non-state actors such as AGRA and farmers' organizations. Currently, funding continues to be channeled almost exclusively through public institutions. We need to provide support that will enable investment to go where it is most likely to be used properly and profitably within Africa's private sector.
Third, we must listen to the smallholder farmer and small agri-business owners across Africa. They are the experts, tirelessly working to move the continent forward. They will tell us what they need on the ground to be successful.
AGRA supports an approach that is coordinated globally, but is African led and focused on smallholder farmers. This approach must be equitable, transparent and accountable to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. As the dust settles on the recent G8 Summit, I hope the leaders AGRA met at Camp David and those we continue to meet across the continent will fund their commitments and take the bold action necessary to feed future generations.