Impact of China’s Foreign Direct Investment on Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Mechanism and Heterogeneity Analysis

As a major source of investment in Africa, the rapid growth of China’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa has exerted a profound influence on regional development and food security. Based on multinational panel data of African countries from 2006 to 2024, this paper systematically investigates the impact, transmission mechanisms, and heterogeneous characteristics of China’s FDI on food security in Africa. The empirical results show that China’s FDI in Africa has a significant positive effect on food security. Mechanism analysis indicates that China’s FDI improves food security indirectly, mainly through upgrading infrastructure and promoting agricultural technology spillovers. Moderating effect analysis reveals that a sound governance environment and strong absorptive capacity amplify its positive impact, whereas a less diversified industrial structure (a low share of secondary industry) weakens its effectiveness. This paper provides policy implications for optimizing the layout of China’s investment in Africa and promoting the sustainable development of Africa’s food system.