Wonderful country: the countryside gives life to the Vaca Muerta **Note:** "Vaca Muerta" is a Spanish term that translates to "Dead Cow" in English, but it is a proper noun referring to a specific region and should not be translated further.

It is fascinating how the discourse from years ago has made its unstoppable penetration: the concept of the Living Cow infiltrates everywhere. So much so, that the Minister of Economy himself brought the issue to the forefront last week, when he posted on X, exultant, that while everyone talks about the export potential of energy and mining, this year the agroindustry shipments were going to exceed 42 billion dollars. It will take many years to achieve the same with oil and gas, the Vaca Muerta. But it is not one or the other. They are both, which moreover dialogue with each other in a wonderful and elegant game of circular economy and added value. There is a little-seen—but increasingly determinant—relationship between the Argentine countryside and the gas industry. It does not appear in traditional statistics or in usual analyses, but it is there, functioning every day: agriculture and petrochemicals are much more connected than it seems. The entry point is urea, the main ...