Capital mobility and knowledge diffusion from China into Ghana's food production subsector: Implications for the law and politics of food sector development strategies

Abstract

Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion (CMKD) is visibly present in Ghana's agriculture sector. This has been crystallized in investments, trade, and inventor mobility. Situating this work within the Social Structure of Accumulation theory, I ask: How have Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion influenced political interactions between state institutions and industry players in the agricultural sector? In what ways do Ghana's state institutions work to ensure she takes or refuses to take advantage of the opportunities which accompany Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion? This study addressed these questions by analyzing qualitative data from 49 purposively selected end users of Chinese agricultural inputs, distributers, and co‐owners of Chinese agricultural input, experts, and policy makers in the agricultural sector. The study finds that state institutions' response to economic opportunities embedded in the Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion in the sector was generally indifferent albeit some appreciable political interactions and institutional processes.