China-Africa Agricultural Cooperation: Boosting Value Addition In Africa

By Yi Xin

During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held earlier this month, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina hailed the success of hybrid rice in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In fact, hybrid rice has been such a game-changer in Madagasgar’s grain production that it is celebrated on the 20,000 ariary banknote.

Since 2007, China has been working with Madagascar on hybrid rice technology. Now this high-yielding crop has outperformed traditional varieties by two to three times and its cultivation has expanded to 50,000 hectares in Madagascar.

The China-Africa relationship is a deep and multifaceted one. The collaboration on hybrid rice between China and Madagascar epitomizes the extensive agricultural partnership that has been developing since the 1950s.

In recent years, China-Africa agricultural collaboration has become more solid, with notable progress in technology transfer, agricultural industrialization and capacity building.

The agricultural sector is among the ten partnership actions for cooperation with Africa announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2024 FOCAC Summit. What is especially noteworthy about this initiative, officially known as the Partnership Action for Agriculture and Livelihoods, is that China will encourage two-way investment for joint ventures and create at least one million jobs for Africa by helping the continent retain added value from its agricultural products. As a matter of fact, cooperation to bolster local value chains is already yielding fruits in many African countries.

Cassava Cultivation in Nigeria

Cassava cultivation in many African nations has been hindered by challenges such as low productivity and underdeveloped processing capability. The Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, a global leader in cassava research, has extended its expertise to Nigeria by working with Nigeria National Root Crops Research Institute and sharing sophisticated breeding and cultivation technologies. The collaboration focuses on research, training and the dissemination of best practices.

In Abuja, a modern agricultural demonstration base was established to enhance local cassava production capabilities. It also serves as a hub for regular training workshops on cassava cultivation and processing. As a result, locals have expanded their product range to include cassava-based biscuits, cakes and noodles, which are higher-value products compared to traditional cassava outputs.

This initiative is a significant step towards transforming Nigeria’s cassava industry and aligns with the broader goals of China-Africa agricultural cooperation to boost food security and economic development in Africa Rubber Industry in Côte d’IvoireCôte d’Ivoire, a nation rich in natural resources, is the third-largest producer of natural rubber globally.

Historically, Côte d’Ivoire faced limitations in rubber processing, constraining exports to raw rubber, which offers little added value to the farmers. By joining efforts with China’s Mainland Group in 2020, the country has made a pivotal shift toward value addition in the industry.

The Mainland Group put into operation three rubber processing plants in Dabou, Duekoue and San-Pedro of Côte d’Ivoire, which have together generated over 1,600 local jobs and a combined annual processing capacity of approximately 400,000 tons—accounting for one-third of the nation’s rubber output.

According to Mr. Dosso Adama, the Côte d’Ivoire Ambassador to China, these facilities have significantly bolstered the country’s rubber production capabilities. They have added substantial value to the industry, spurred local economic growth and brought tangible benefits to the populace.These are just two examples of how agricultural cooperation helps to retain added value in Africa.

The Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027) adopted at the FOCAC Summit aligns with these efforts. It articulates China’s commitment to incentivizing enterprises to engage in comprehensive industrial chain cooperation with Africa, spanning from agricultural and aquaculture production to processing, machinery manufacturing, and logistics. This is designed to assist Africa in extending its industrial chains and amplifying its value creation, and dovetails well with the African Union’s Agenda 2063. As the world grapples with destructive impacts of climate change and a challenging economic outlook, China-Africa agricultural partnership can be a big boost to food security and economic growth in Africa, and bring lasting benefits to peace, stability and prosperity of the world.

The author is a Beijing-based observer of international affairs.