African agency in China's tea trade : commercial networks, brand creation and intellectual property / Ute Röschenthaler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Röschenthaler, Ute, author.

Series:

African social studies series ; Volume 43.

African Social Studies Series ; Volume 43

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Tea trade--Africa, West.

Tea trade.

Tea trade--China.

China--Commerce--Africa, West.

China.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (364 pages)

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2022]

Summary:

Every month tons of green tea travel from China to West Africa in a movement that largely thrives beyond the attention of Western observers. In this trade, Malian merchants assumed a central role. They travel to China, visit family gardens and the factories, which process and package the product. Together with their Chinese suppliers, they select the tea leaves and create their brand. On Bamako’s largest market, the Grand Marché, more than a hundred different tea brands are found, whose packages have colourfully, often eye-catching designs with brand-names such as Gazelle, Tombouctou, Arafat and Obama. This book explores the unique tea culture that celebrates with its brands the strength of desert animals, the fading glory of trading places, the excitement of social events and the accomplishments of admired politicians.

Contents:

Preliminary Material / Ute Röschenthaler

Copyright page / Ute Röschenthaler

Preface / Ute Röschenthaler

Acknowledgements / Ute Röschenthaler

List of Figures, Graphs and Table / Ute Röschenthaler

Introduction / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 1 The Emergence of the Malian Tea Importers / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 2 The Evolution of the Green Tea Brands / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 3 Tea Prices, Brand Value and Publicity / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 4 The Traders of Mali’s National Drink / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 5 Secrets of Success, Distribution Networks and Sino-Malian Collaboration / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 6 The Tea Packet Design, Co-Creation and the Culture of Commemoration / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 7 Tea Brands as Intellectual Property and the Challenge of Piracy / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 8 Tea Brands and the Conceptual Complexities of Intellectual Property / Ute Röschenthaler

Chapter 9 Bureaucracy: The Commercial Tribunal, Statistics and Border Controls / Ute Röschenthaler

Conclusion / Ute Röschenthaler

References / Ute Röschenthaler

Index / Ute Röschenthaler.

Notes:

This study highlights the agency of African economic actors in the green tea trade between China and West Africa, their unique tea brand designs, their challenges and successes, and the social and cultural context in which they conduct their work.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Röschenthaler, Ute African Agency in China's Tea Trade

ISBN:

90-04-50569-5

OCLC:

1298389223

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004505698 DOI