Food security is a fundamental issue linked to the right to survival and the right to development of developing countries, and it is particularly urgent for Senegal. As a major agricultural country in West Africa, Senegal has fertile valleys and a long agricultural tradition, but it still relies on imports of large quantities of broken rice to meet its national needs. How can a growing population be fed on limited land? How can food dependency be achieved to food self-sufficiency? These are the crucial questions addressed by the Senegal 2050 Vision.

China's experience offers a useful example. With less than 8% of the world's arable land, China has managed to feed nearly 20% of the human population. There are no shortcuts or magic behind this "Chinese miracle," but rather an agricultural development strategy developed through a long process of exploration: innovative land tenure systems to inspire farmers, advancements in agricultural science and technology to increase land yields, and synergy between industrialization and agricultural modernization to achieve structural transformation. All of this is of paramount importance to Senegal, which is currently seeking its path to food sovereignty.

Institutional innovation is the foundation

food security

The starting point for China's agricultural reform was the Household Responsibility System (HRS), launched in 1978. This system, while maintaining collective land ownership, granted farmers stable, long-term usufruct rights, which greatly boosted their enthusiasm for production. Within a few years, China essentially solved the problem of its population's subsistence. The beauty of this institutional design lies in the fact that it avoids the risk of dispossession of farmers inherent in land privatization while creating the conditions for agricultural modernization through the stability of contractual relationships.

This practice is highly instructive for Senegal. Currently, in rural Senegal, customary law still plays a significant role in land tenure, and there is friction between the principle of national ownership established by the 1964 land law and traditional practices. Drawing inspiration from the Chinese experience to formalize and legalize traditional land use rights would both protect the fundamental rights and interests of small farmers and pave the way for their access to credit and integration into modern value chains. As the French researcher Rémy Herrera commented, "Collective land ownership in rural areas should be seen as the most precious legacy of the revolution that began in 1949." This institutional wisdom deserves serious consideration by African countries exploring a "Third Way."

Technological progress is the key to the increase

production and revenue

Another important lesson from Chinese agriculture is its commitment to developing science and technology to revitalize farming. Despite limited land resources, China has managed to continuously increase its grain production through technological advancements. Two of these technologies have already shown promising potential in Senegal.

The first is Juncao technology. This innovative technology, originating in China, uses grass instead of wood, enabling both the efficient production of edible mushrooms and the provision of high-quality fodder for livestock, thus maximizing biomass and protein production. In the Senegal River Valley region, Juncao technology helps smallholder farmers achieve higher yields on limited land.

The second is hybrid rice technology. This high-yield technique, specifically designed for limited arable land, is of strategic importance for ensuring national food security. Currently, more than 200 Chinese agricultural experts are working directly in Senegalese fields to transfer these practical techniques to local farmers. Experience has shown that intensifying the cultivation of small plots of land can effectively support a country's food security goals.

The strengthening of cooperation is the guarantee

From autonomous development

Sino-Senegalese agricultural cooperation is evolving from technical assistance and trade in agricultural products to a higher level of co-industrialization. This advancement aligns with the commitment made by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 2024 to support Africa's industrialization and serves the fundamental interests of both parties.

First, the development of local processing capacity. China's "zero tariff" policy for least developed countries provides a greenway for Senegalese agricultural products to access the Chinese market. However, exporting raw materials alone generates low added value and limited revenue. Therefore, both parties are striving to achieve a common goal: a local processing rate of at least 35% for key agricultural products such as peanuts, sesame, and cashew nuts. This goal will contribute both to increasing added value for Senegal and reducing logistical costs.

Secondly, the localization of agricultural mechanization. The level of agricultural mechanization in Senegal is relatively low, with only about 11% of farming households owning motorized equipment. The focus of cooperation is therefore shifting from simple equipment donations to the establishment of agricultural equipment assembly plants in Senegal, relying on Agricultural Equipment User Cooperatives (CUMAs) to facilitate technology transfer on the ground. At the same time, mechanization and automation also help address the labor shortage caused by the exodus of young people from rural areas.

Third, the localization of quality certification. To meet China's stringent sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, both parties are working to establish a certification center in Dakar, enabling Senegalese engineers to become the gatekeepers of export quality. This measure will reduce reliance on costly external inspection services and strengthen Senegal's quality self-sufficiency.

Win-win cooperation is the way forward

to move forward together

Food sovereignty does not mean self-sufficiency, but rather the strengthening of autonomous development capacities within the framework of open cooperation. China always adheres to the principles of sincerity, tangible results, affinity, and good faith in its policy toward Africa, without imposing political conditions, interfering in internal affairs, or forcibly imposing its models. The deepening of Sino-Senegalese agricultural cooperation is a vivid illustration of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

From institutions to technology, from trade to investment, from aid to capacity building, the two countries are exploring a path of pragmatic and sustainable cooperation in the agricultural sector. This path is two-way. It contributes to the food sovereignty described in the Senegal 2050 Vision, embodies the spirit of mutual benefit and shared development championed by the FOCAC, and represents the firm direction in which developing countries are working together to meet the global challenge of food security.