Costa Rica accelerates to reduce the use of pesticide

The Costa Rican banana industry research programme that aims to reduce the use of pesticides through biological control by 50 per cent in 10 years is running ahead of schedule. A Corbana spokesman said: "After two years of research, the Costa Rican banana industry has managed to reduce the use of pesticides by 20-30 per cent already, meaning that the goal could probably be achieved earlier than expected."

Transnational banana production in Costa Rica is totally dependent on chemical control with at least 286 different pesticides authorized for use in the cultivation of bananas. Due to their openness, the banana plantations are leaky and inefficient systems causing a large input of toxic substances to the environment. In spite of the high use of pesticides, the information generated or available on the banana industry concerning the presence of toxic substances in different environmental samples, as well as concerning the impact on fragile ecosystems, is very limited.

Read the related article: The Growth of the Banana Industry in Costa Rica and Its Effect on Biodiversity