South America, economic growth

Hydrilla vertlcillata (family Hydrocharitaceae) was introduced to the United States from Africa by way of South America (1). Since the 1960 s, the plant has become a major nuisance in Florida, a state in which hydrilla does not suffer a winter die-back each year. For example, it is estimated that approximately 40,000 hectares of the State s waterways are directly affected by heavy hydrilla growth (2) necessitating the expenditure of millions of dollars annually for control and research. Costs are not only economic but environmental as well because hydrilla Is able to compete successfully with native submerged plants and to displace them in some situations (3). 

Economic growth in East and South Asia, at a rate that is much higher than the more-developed countries in North America, western Europe and Japan. 

Latin America is usually defined to include Mexico, The Caribbean, Central and South America. This market region includes about 370 million inhabitants. The individual countries represent a wide range of political, social, and economical scenarios. High inflation rates and large trade balance deficits are prevalent in many of the countries. Limited infrastructure (e.g. highways, public utilities, etc.) has seriously hampered their economic growth. However, strong raw material positions (e.g. petroleum, metal ores, etc.) have enhanced export income and helped improve the national GNP and levels of industrialization. For example, three major oil fields have been discovered in Mexico within the past few years, and Venezuela s oil-based economy is well known. 

In North America and Europe, the electricity demand is almost stagnant or only slowly increasing, and new base load capacity is currently not needed in most of the countries. In Contrast many countries in South and East Asia are experiencing high economic growth and high electricity demand growth and need additional base load capacity. 

Furthermore, the modernization of agricultural techniques and the growth of plantation areas result in better economical factors for the production of essential oil-bearing plants, creating workplaces in developing countries of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America as well as further development of modern farms in the United States and Europe (Mediterranean area, Balkans). Despite some regulatory restrictions (EU, REACH, FDA, etc.), essential oils are and will have an... 

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