What does he mean, that Rory Carroll?

Letter to the Guardian editor, Ombudsman and Mr. Carroll:

Sirs,

In his latest missive on Peru, Carroll wrote the following sentence: "The violence plunged the government into crisis and left a question mark over the fate of billion-dollar deals with foreign multinationals, including the Anglo-French oil company Perenco, to develop the rainforest."

My question is about the use of the word "develop". Which meaning of the word did Mr Carroll have in mind considering that in fact opening up rainforests to oil exploration actually degrades and pollutes?

develop
transitive verb

1 a: to set forth or make clear by degrees or in detail : expound b: to make visible or manifest c: to treat (as in dyeing) with an agent to cause the appearance of color d: to subject (exposed photograph material) especially to chemicals in order to produce a visible image ; also : to make visible by such a method e: to elaborate (a musical idea) by the working out of rhythmic and harmonic changes in the theme

2 a: to work out the possibilities of b: to create or produce especially by deliberate effort over time

3 a: to make active or promote the growth of b (1): to make available or usable (2): to make suitable for commercial or residential purposes c: to move (as a chess piece) from the original position to one providing more opportunity for effective use

4 a: to cause to unfold gradually b: to expand by a process of growth c: to cause to grow and differentiate along lines natural to its kind d: to become infected or affected by

5: to acquire gradually

intransitive verb

1 a: to go through a process of natural growth, differentiation, or evolution by successive changes b: to acquire secondary sex characteristics

2: to become gradually manifest

3: to come into being gradually ; also : turn out 2a

For the life of me I can't find a definition that fits Carroll's use of the word. Perhaps the Ombudsman could help or Mr Carroll could actually answer an e-mail for a change as it appears he believes he is not answerable to his readers.
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UPDATE:

Check out this video I came across at the Reportaje al Perú blog (where you can find the Spanish version): ¿Por qué desconfían los amazónicos del Gobierno?

Una Muerte en Sion (A Death in Sion) OFFICIAL UPLOAD from Películas Atabamba on Vimeo.