Latin American countries show interest and great promise in the development of biofuels.  According to the Inter-American Development Bank, the abundance of arable land and the existence of optimal climatic conditions in the region make it well-suited to become a leading center in a global biofuels trade.  In addition, Latin American economies continue to build strong agricultural sectors and improve industrial infrastructure that will assist the growth of the agro-energy sector.


Consistently positive growth rates and democratic stability are now the norm in Latin America, rather than the exception. Pragmatism has replaced dogma as the guide towards sustained economic development,” said Javier Santiso, the Chief Development Economist for OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).

In Latin America:

  • Unemployment is dropping
  • Poverty is declining, having dropped over 9% since 2002
  • Economies are stronger due to greater fiscal solvency, significant reductions in public
    debts and better governmental management
  • Governments are allocating greater resources to public investment and social spending
  • The Inter-American Development Bank, the main source of multilateral development
    financing for Latin America and the Caribbean, plans to allocate US$12 billion for
    infrastructure projects in 2010
  • Several countries recently achieved the Millennium Development Goal of providing
    universal primary education for children
  • Strong agricultural and commodity infrastructure