Costa Rica: Sector opposes law that threatens bananas

Published Oct 21, 2024

Tridge summary

The Alliance for Agricultural Sustainability (ASA) of Costa Rica, along with the National Chamber of Agriculture and Agroindustry (CNAA), opposes proposed law No. 23,697, which seeks to regulate aerial spraying due to insufficient technical and scientific studies. The law, initially suggesting a 3 km restriction, was reduced to 1 km, potentially affecting numerous farms and the economy, particularly banana producers in Limón. ASA and CNAA criticize the lack of consultation with the agricultural sector and argue that existing studies show controlled conditions minimize drift. ASA's director, Jorge Cartín, warns of the negative socioeconomic impact of switching to alternative spraying techniques, which may not be profitable and could lead to bankruptcy, affecting the province and the entire country.

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Original content

The Alliance for Agricultural Sustainability (ASA) of Costa Rica announced in a statement that it is opposed to the proposed law No. 23,697, which seeks to regulate aerial spraying. The institution argued that the legislation threatens the stability of banana production, as well as other agricultural activities, since it does not have technical and scientific studies regarding the definition of the radius of application. It is important to note that the project initially prohibited a spraying area of 3 km radius, which was later reduced to 1 km, equivalent to 314 hectares of crops, although the sector warns that the impact could be greater if the restricted areas cover several farms or plantations at the same time. In this regard, ASA assures that the decision would directly affect the agricultural sector of the country and in particular banana production, which is the main economic activity of the province of Limón and generates 83% of employment in the Huetar Caribe area. ...

Source: MXfruit