Understanding the Forms and Trends of Capital Mobility from China into Ghana’s Agricultural Sector

From Neo-liberalism to Social Innovation

Abstract

Given the fact that China has become the top investor in Ghana’s economy, this paper sought to interrogate the forms and trends of Chinese capital mobility into Ghana’s agricultural sector and explain their attractiveness within neo-liberal and social innovation contexts. Primary and secondary data were drawn from purposively selected state institutions and other actors in the agricultural sector. Using descriptive and constant comparative analytic strategies, we found out that the capital mobility from China into Ghana’s agricultural sector has been very visible and more attractive in trade but not in landed investment. It was further discovered that the forms and trends of the Chinese capital mobility would not have to be understood within neo-liberal persuasions such as trade liberalization and privatization alone but it would also have to be understood within the social innovative contexts of technological advancement and the organizational novelties upon which it is promoted and spread. We argue that the increasing rate of importation of agricultural inputs from China is an opportunity for knowledge transfer and technological adoption to aid the development of appropriate technology, but its sustenance would require the application of social innovative practices.