China’s Internal Motives and Dynamics Behind Its Agricultural Investments in Brazil

THIS IS AN ONLINE & IN-PERSON EVENT

Chinese agricultural investments in Brazil have surged over the past decade, primarily targeting soybeans but extending across various sectors. These investments are diverse, differing in scale, the actors involved, and their objectives. Existing literature explores how conglomerates like COFCO and ChemChina, along with other players, adapt to local conditions through interactions with Brazilian officials and agribusiness partners. This presentation offers a complementary analysis based on China’s political economy, linking these local adaptations to the domestic interests of agribusiness groups and their connections with state institutions in China. It examines the rise of large agribusinesses among soybean traders and processors outsourcing soybeans from Brazil. Tomaz identifies different enterprise groups with unique expansion strategies and finds that their success depends on securing advantageous positions for overseas investments by influencing and benefiting from state policies. His research provides new insights into the motivations and strategies of Chinese agribusinesses investing in Brazil, highlighting the multiple links between domestic interests and international expansion.