I was pleased to see this article from Reuters reporting how Colombia’s agricultural future is improving and within a decade could become a small agro-industrial power. With the FARC beaten back and the Colombian government able to wrest control of most of the countryside, the land can now be returned to a more benign and productive use. According to the article, at least 41 million acres (16.5 million hectares) of agricultural land could be brought on-line. Colombia’s successful track record in generating domestic investment, combined with its ability to attract international investment, this sector should be booming in the not too distant future.

However, it is not without issues to overcome – especially the lack of infrastructure and easy access to markets. For the past couple of decades these areas were not accessible due to the violence and therefore there was no opportunity to build a comprehensive road network. Nevertheless, “Where there’s a will there’s a way” seems to be Colombia’s motto.

A sad comment in the article is that most or at least many of the original individual landowners will not return to work their land; they are too scared from the previous presence of the FARC and the atrocities they committed. They will sell it and most will be purchased by large agro-industrial concerns.

Once the strong investment and activity really kicks in and foreign agro-industrial firms begin to acquire large swathes of land, it will be interesting to see how Colombia reacts to growing foreign land ownership. Will it move to promote jingoistic counter-actions as Brazil and Argentina have? These latter two countries have and are enacting laws to limit foreign ownership of agricultural land. I bet on the side of rational Colombian behavior.