07/07/2021 - International Relations

KEY POINTS

·        As an importer of fruits, nuts, grains and pulses from the continent, Indian congruence with African countries in the agriculture sector is expanding.

·        With 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, employing over 60% of the workforce, and accounting for almost 20% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP, agriculture is critical to Africa’s economy.

·        The African Continental Free Trade Area agreement is expected to improve cost competitiveness by removing tariffs.

·        China is among Africa’s largest trading partners. Its corporations dominate the region’s infrastructure market and are now entering the agri-infra sector.

·        Therefore, dismissing Beijing’s engagement in African agriculture as inconsequential for New Delhi would be unwise.

·        The exponential growth in the China-Africa economic ties and the emergence of Beijing as an alternate to traditional western powers has motivated change in perceptions across groups.

·        India-Africa agricultural cooperation currently includes institutional and individual capacity-building initiatives such as the India-Africa Institute of Agriculture and Rural development in Malawi, extension of soft loans.

·        Indian farmers have purchased over 6,00,000 hectares of land for commercial farming in Africa. Sub-national actors are providing another model of cooperation in agriculture.

·        Consider the case of the Kerala government trying to meet its steep requirement for raw cashew nuts amounting to 8 lakh tonnes a year with imports from countries in Africa.

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