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Can Liberian rubber bounce back?

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, in spite of being rich in natural resources. But a retired Californian cop is determined to make rubber pay for Liberians.

A victim of the β€œresource curse”, Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, in spite of being rich in natural resources. Rubber is one of the country’s biggest exports but few Liberians have benefitted from this multimillion dollar business. In this Global Business, Josephine Casserly meets a retired Californian policeman, James Cooper, who has returned to his grandfather’s farm, determined to revolutionise Liberia’s rubber industry. But in a country with a struggling economy and endemic corruption, can he succeed? Produced by Lucy Ash

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27 minutes

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