This panel will present part of the results of the author's research in his doctoral thesis “The institutional factor as a determinant of Chinese economic presence in the agri-food sector in South America”. The keys to the last part of the thesis will be presented, where the evolution of China's agri-food investments in South America is analyzed.
We propose two hypotheses: 1) Chinese investment in the South American primary sector has served to boost food exports to the Asian giant; and 2) the Chinese State has been the promoter of this process in close cooperation with the South American governments and under a marked pragmatism. In this sense, the main contribution of this research is to identify the different types of Chinese agri-food investment in the region and provide a comprehensive analysis of this phenomenon.
We will analyze the keys to China's foreign direct investment (fdi) in the region's agri-food sector. Among other points, we will observe the strategies and actors of state and private investors, the purchase of land (projects, announcements and facts) and the acquisition of companies and assets in the sector.
Investment in infrastructure and institutional financing is another very important element: the role of Chinese public banks and state construction companies in South America, logistics investments to boost exports, and investments in dams and other infrastructure.
We will also expose investment factors such as China's competition with other investing countries, technology transfer and scientific cooperation, as well as the transparency and sustainability of projects.