Brazil and China: the agribusiness connection in the Southern Cone context

Abstract

This article explores the ways in which the Brazil–China axis is reshaping patterns of trade and investment in soy and related commodities. On the Brazilian side, we are particularly interested in the characteristics and dynamics of the models of investment and farming on the soy frontier. China′s extensive interests in Brazilian soy provide a privileged perspective to analyse the different ways in which it is trying to reshape the dynamics of global agricultural commodity trading. We also incorporate insights from China′s involvement in other Southern Cone countries, particularly Argentina. We explore the hypothesis that the scale of China′s food and raw material demands even at low levels of import dependence have led it to adopt ‘more-than-market’ strategies of control which raise important questions for existing patterns of world agricultural trade.