EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Traditionally focused on extractive industries, China’s co-operation with Africa is moving towards greater diversification, as African economies themselves diversify and  new  needs  and  opportunities  arise  across  the  continent.  West  Africa  is  a case in point, with China providing new forms of economic assistance to many countries in the sub-region. This is especially the case with agriculture; a key sector  in  West  Africa  that  involves  both  food  security  and  economic  growth challenges. As emphasised at the 2006 summit of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Beijing means to offer assistance to Africa that differs from  the  type  of  aid  provided  by  Western  countries.  It  seeks  to  implement  a model of South–South co-operation advocating mutual gains and the exchange of  best  practices.  In  this  regard,  West  Africa  could  learn  a  lot  from  China, which  has  built  a  strong  domestic  agricultural  sector  in  the  last  two  decades and developed it more rapidly than any other sector. This policy insights paper offers an overview of the main trends in and obstacles to China–West African engagement in the agricultural sector, and places them in the context of West Africa’s emerging needs.