Agricultural development in the Andean countries and the nexus

Andean countries face development challenges that depend crucially on the governance of land, water, and energy resources. Over the last few decades, international trade and growing food demand have brought ample opportunities to agricultural and economic development. This growth, however, has also exposed the unsolved tensions between water governance and agricultural and energy policies and initial efforts towards environmental protection. This chapter discusses the need and impact of a nexus perspective in the context of weak institutions and high inequality by reviewing case studies in Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. It illustrates with concrete examples the existing trade-offs and the potential for implementing a nexus governance approach in a developing-country context.