Chinese engagement in agriculture and rural development in Tanzania is long-standing and covers multiple activities. Although China was very active as a donor in the 1960s and 1970s, its engagement slowed in the 1980s, shifting away from new projects into efforts to boost the sustainability of past projects. In the 1990s, the focus changed to incorporate far more commercial and investment activities. Yet few Chinese investors have made commitments to invest in agricultural activities in Tanzania. As one Chinese economic counselor said in 2008, “Agriculture is risky here. It is hard to have win-win” (Pers. comm. 2008).1 This paper documents the full range of Chinese agricultural and rural development activities in Tanzania, both historical and contemporary. Its primary purpose is to serve as background for other researchers: Tanzanians and foreigners. Researchers from IFPRI visited Tanzania (Dar es Salaam, Kilosa and Dakawa in Morogoro Region, and Zanzibar) between September 17 and 30, 2011, to conduct a scoping study of Chinese engagement in agriculture and rural development. The researchers conducted more than 30 interviews, primarily with Chinese and Tanzanian officials and businesses, and with several knowledgeable foreign experts. We also obtained census data on all approvals of specific Chinese foreign investment activities in agriculture and agribusiness from the national investment authorities to locate Chinese investors. The report also draws on earlier visits by IFPRI researchers to Tanzania as well as published and unpublished documents and secondary material.2
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