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

• Superior document: African Social Studies Series ; Volume 43
• VerfasserIn: Röschenthaler, Ute,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2022]; ©2022
• Year of Publication: 2022
• Language: English
• Series: African social studies series ; Volume 43.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (364 pages)
• 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.

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.

Table of 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.