Leaders | Natural resources

How Latin America could be a commodities superpower

It must not squander the opportunity of the next commodity boom

A combine harvester crops soybeans in a field
Image: Getty Images

OVER FIVE centuries Latin America and its 2bn hectares of land have been a vital source of food, fuel and metals for the world. First looted by colonisers for gold, silver, cotton and sugar, it later supplied rubber and oil to Europe and the United States. Now Latin America faces a chance to become the 21st century’s commodity superpower. This time, it must use that chance to boost development at home.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Cash and quarry”

From the August 12th 2023 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Leaders

A lighter engraved with "TAXES US. Department of state", symbolising financial burden

Despite fears of a global tax war, Donald Trump has a chance to make peace

A global minimum tax on companies ought to be acceptable to America

An employee works inside a nuclear facility in Isfahan, Iran

How to use “maximum pressure” to stop an Iranian bomb

The Islamic Republic is closer than ever to obtaining nukes


Milei, Modi, Trump: an anti-red-tape revolution is under way

Done right, deregulation could kick-start economic growth


By cutting off assistance to foreigners, America hurts itself

Donald Trump’s chaotic aid freeze makes his country weaker

The real meaning of the DeepSeek drama

The Chinese model-maker has panicked investors. But it is good for the users of AI

Rwanda does a Putin in Congo

To understand the seizure of Goma, consider a parallel with Ukraine