The coca leaf is another native Andean plant that was grown by the Incas and continues to be cultivated by indigenous communities for religious and cultural purposes. In many parts of the central Andes, coca cultivation for traditional uses is legal. However, poverty and a lack of opportunities in mountain areas often leads farmers to plant illegal fields, often after moving to lowland areas where cocaine traffickers process the leaves into cocaine. This situation is clearly not just an Andean mountain development issue, it damages the lives of millions of people worldwide. The mining industry of the central Andes is one of the most important of the world.
Chile is the world's largest producer of copper and Bolivia is a major producer of tin.
However, the decline in market prices for minerals has hit the economy of many Andean countries hard, causing massive unemployment in many communities and fueling the exodus to lowland areas and large cities. In addition, the demands of the mining industry often present extremely difficult challenges for sustainable development in the Andes. For example, in the Atacama desert in the Andes of northern Chile, one of the driest places on earth, the expansion of the mining industry and the growth of cities has put extreme pressure on the region's water supplies. The Government of Chile must find ways of reconciling the needs of the mining industry with those of indigenous communities that have relied on this water for thousands of years. The southern Andes extend from the southernmost limit of the central Andean altiplano to Tierra del Fuego at the very end of the continent.