{"id":244582,"date":"2024-07-17T00:01:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T22:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/all-banana-or-what-pollution-of-the-sixaola-river-by-pesticides\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T15:18:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:18:12","slug":"no-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/no-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Sixaola River Polluted by Pesticides"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\"><div class=\"et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><blockquote>\n<h2>Is everything cool or what?<\/h2>\n<h2>Interesting and Critical Facts About a Crooked Thing<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">That was the headline of an article by our project coordinator, Dr. Stefan Rother, published in 1999 in <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 17px;\">TROPICA VERDE SPECIAL <\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">in 1999\u2014and it remains highly relevant today, because the structural problems of banana cultivation in vast monocultures have, unfortunately, tended to worsen again following a period of improvement:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deforestation of tropical forests to create new farmland,<\/li>\n<li>extensive use of pesticides in the plantations and from the air,<\/li>\n<li>Pollution of waterways, the ocean, and groundwater,<\/li>\n<li>Diseases among workers and the resident population, infertility, miscarriages,<\/li>\n<li>Decline in Wildlife Populations and Loss of Biodiversity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_image_0 et_pb_image et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_4368-deleted-4e47fed917211a24919d61ae68492ec3-scaled.jpg\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1817\" class=\"wp-image-244566\" alt=\"Banana tree\" title=\"Banana tree\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p><strong>Specifically: To combat <\/strong>the more than 70 species of bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects\u2014which have no natural predators in monocultures\u2014tons of pesticides are applied, which are washed into the streams during the frequent tropical rains. In addition, the banana plants are wrapped in blue plastic bags impregnated with pesticides until harvest, but these bags contaminate workers during harvesting and in the washing facilities. Around 33,000 people live in this area, and they no longer have access to clean drinking water.  <\/p>\n<p>I would love to write here about the progress made in reducing the use of chemicals, increasing nature conservation, and improving working and living conditions for employees, but we at Tropica Verde e.V. are committed to transparency and education.  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_1 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_1 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_3 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<h2><strong>High Levels of Pesticide Contamination in the Vicinity of Banana Plantations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to a new study by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) from 2019, 2022, and 2023 <strong>, a mixture of 33 pesticides<\/strong> was <strong>detected<\/strong> on the Caribbean side in the Sixaola River <strong>,<\/strong> which forms the border <strong>,<\/strong> and in the Gandoca Lagoon\u2014a nature reserve\u2014 <strong>with 13 of these alone exceeding permissible levels by up to 24 times<\/strong>. The study identified substances that, while banned in Europe and North America, are still permitted for export to countries such as Costa Rica.   <a href=\"https:\/\/semanariouniversidad.com\/pais\/coctel-de-33-pesticidas-contamina-cuenca-del-rio-sixaola-y-alcanza-la-laguna-gandoca-en-area-protegida\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">You can find more detailed information and the chart below in this article from Costa Rica (in Spanish).<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_2 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_2 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_image_1 et_pb_image et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/contaminacion-pesticidas-actividad-bananera_PNUD.avif\" width=\"696\" height=\"369\" class=\"wp-image-244570\" alt=\"High Levels of Pesticide Contamination in the Vicinity of Banana Plantations Along the Sixaola River\" title=\"Pesticide Contamination in the Banana Industry_UNDP\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_4 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>For many years, the Rainforest Alliance has also been working in the Sixaola region to improve production conditions on banana plantations through a certification system, but many farms continue to use pesticides without oversight:<\/p>\n<p><em>Local authorities usually lack the capacity to ensure the safe storage and transport of these toxic pesticides. Many farmers lack the knowledge and training to protect themselves from the risks these products pose to their health and the environment. This has devastating effects on ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as on the health of producers, workers, and farming communities (report dated September 10, 2021).  <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Although Costa Rica has designated many nature reserves over the past decades and established two key nature conservation agencies\u2014MINAE and SINAC\u2014 ecotourism plays a major role, and Costa Ricans are proud of their country\u2019s positive image, this small country is the third-largest exporter of pineapples and, along with Ecuador, one of the most important banana producers. And this has consequences for the environment, because <strong>according to a 2020 FAO survey, Costa Rica is the country with the highest consumption of agrochemicals in the world.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>But how could this have happened at all, despite the truly exemplary environmental protection laws? For one thing, at the local, lower levels of government, there is neither the staffing to carry out systematic monitoring using appropriate analytical methods and laboratories, nor the necessary authority to impose sanctions on producers.   <\/p>\n<h2>Dangerous pesticides are to be banned<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Even<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.25pt;\"> <\/span>though<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.25pt;\"> <\/span>these<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.25pt;\"> <\/span>facts<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.15pt;\"> <\/span>are shocking<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.25pt;\"> <\/span>,<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.15pt;\"> <\/span>this<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.15pt;\"> <\/span>in no way<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.3pt;\"> <\/span>diminishes<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.2pt;\"> <\/span>our<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.15pt;\"> <\/span>commitment<span style=\"letter-spacing: -.15pt;\"> <\/span>to protect, within the limits of our capabilities, the tropical forests, wildlife, and biodiversity<span style=\"letter-spacing: 2.0pt;\"> <\/span>and to advocate for healthy and sustainable living and working conditions for the local population\u2014including environmental education in schools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_3 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_3 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_5 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>There is currently hope in the form of a bipartisan legislative initiative in Congress to finally ban the most dangerous pesticides while providing financial incentives to farms that reduce their use of chemicals.<\/p>\n<p><em>The most significant effort is a recent bill introduced by Representative Kattia Cambrionero with cross-party support that proposes a ban on highly hazardous pesticides. (Source: UNDP)   <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_4 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_image_2 et_pb_image et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMGP6092-scaled.jpg\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1702\" class=\"wp-image-241695\" alt=\"Pineapple Monoculture in Northern Costa Rica\" title=\"Pineapple Monoculture in Northern Costa Rica\" \/><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_4 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_5 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_6 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>In addition, some time ago, a director at the Republic\u2019s Environmental Agency required the government to issue national guidelines on pesticide use, to be drafted with the participation of the ministries of the environment, agriculture, and health. However, due to profound conflicting objectives, this has still not happened. Here, export-oriented economic interests are pitted against the sustainable protection of health and the environment. We are familiar with this conflict here as well.   <\/p>\n<p>Only gradually is the realization taking hold that the current practice of growing bananas and pineapples in monocultures\u2014with their excessive use of pesticides\u2014not only does more harm than good to Costa Rica, but will soon no longer be profitable for the producers themselves, as they are now caught in an <strong>economic vicious cycle: <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Price Pressure:<\/strong> In order to survive the enormous price pressure from our fruit importers and the decline in prices over the past 20 years, the focus has not only been on increasing crop yields; rather, the massive use of pesticides is intended primarily to prevent crop losses caused by pests.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lobbying:<\/strong> Added to this is the detrimental role played by agrochemical companies such as Monsanto and Bayer, which use effective consulting and lobbying efforts to sell their products.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dependence:<\/strong> This, in turn, places agricultural producers in a position of heavy dependence and further reduces their profits, which are already very low.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost savings:<\/strong> Where could costs be cut and profits increased? In wages\u2014so that in banana and pineapple production, day laborers from Panama and Nicaragua predominately work under poor conditions. <\/li>\n<li>At the same time, the EU and our consumers are rightly demanding healthy fruit free of pesticide residues, with certification, the TransFair seal, and working conditions that respect human dignity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global Market:<\/strong> Two-thirds of the global market\u2014from cultivation to the store shelf\u2014is dominated by the U.S. fruit multinationals Chiquita (formerly United Fruit), Dole (Standard Fruit), and Del Monte.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Profit Distribution:<\/strong> Large corporations take nearly one-third of the retail price, which is usually between 0.99 and 1.50 euros per kilo. About 40 percent goes to retailers, and one-sixth to the ripening company. <strong>Only one-tenth remains for the plantations<\/strong>. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Prices are under pressure:<\/strong> Overproduction has been driving prices down for years. Currently, at discount chains like Aldi, a kilo can be bought for as little as 79 cents. Nevertheless, per capita consumption is declining in Europe and the U.S.  <\/li>\n<li><strong style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Susceptibility of the variety: <em>Cavendish <\/em> <\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">is currently the most widely grown variety\u2014a hybrid without viable seeds. However, this variety is affected by a persistent soil fungus from Asia that threatens all monocultures worldwide. Of the more than 1,500 registered banana varieties, however, there is no fungus-resistant alternative.  <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h2>Are there any ways out or solutions?<\/h2>\n<p>What led to a significant reduction in pesticide use years ago in coffee, cocoa, and melon cultivation must now finally work for bananas as well:<\/p>\n<p>Away from monocultures, toward near-natural agroforestry mixed cropping systems with trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants. Away from crop-dusting planes and plastic bags, toward direct injections into the plant. Away from mass production, which has led to oversupply and falling prices, toward fair producer prices.  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_5 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_6 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_7 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h3><span style=\"color: #575656; font-family: 'Source Sans 3', Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;\">And this is where our German retail chains\u2014REWE, ALDI, LIDL, and EDEKA\u2014bear responsibility, as they are the dominant importers that have driven down prices. The Supply Chain Act now requires them to contribute to improving living and working conditions throughout the supply chain. As commendable as individual flagship projects may be (such as REWE\u2019s San San and Nogal), as long as the toxic cocktail in the Sixaola border river has not been eliminated, the all-clear has not been given. We at Tropica Verde e.V. will continue to monitor this issue closely.   <\/span><\/h3>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_7 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_2 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_image_3 et_pb_image et_pb_module et_block_module\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/WOLFGANG-2.avif\" width=\"400\" height=\"268\" class=\"wp-image-241690\" alt=\"Volunteer Wolfgang Schmidt\" title=\"Volunteer Wolfgang Schmidt\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_8 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p style=\"text-align: center;\">Wolfgang Schmitt<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row_6 et_pb_row et_block_row\" id=\"mitglied\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_8 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_5 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_module et_d4_element et_pb_code et_pb_code_0  et_pb_text_align_right et_pb_text_align_center-tablet\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_code_inner\" data-et-multi-view=\"{&quot;schema&quot;:{&quot;content&quot;:{&quot;desktop&quot;:&quot;&lt;span class=\\&quot;et-pb-icon\\&quot; style=\\&quot;color:#238da2; font-size:30px\\&quot;&gt;$&lt;\\\/span&gt;&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;:&quot;&lt;span class=&#039;et-pb-icon&#039; style=\\&quot;color:#238da2; font-size:41px\\&quot;&gt;=&lt;\\\/span&gt;&quot;,&quot;phone&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;target&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;hover_selector&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;et_pb_code&quot;}\" data-et-multi-view-load-tablet-hidden=\"true\" data-et-multi-view-load-phone-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"et-pb-icon\" style=\"color:#238da2; font-size:30px\">$<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_9 et_pb_column et_pb_column_3_5 et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_9 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module preset--module--divi-text--default\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h2>BECOME A MEMBER<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"serif\">Nature, environmental and climate protection need a lobby now more than ever. With your membership you give us your voice for our work. The more members we represent, the stronger our standing vis-\u00e0-vis politics and business.  <\/h3>\n<p>As a member of Tropica Verde you have many opportunities. You can get actively involved in the association's work, volunteer at events and exchange ideas with like-minded people on topics such as rainforest protection, climate protection, environmental education and more. Or you can simply support our projects regularly with your membership fee and help to preserve the rainforest in Costa Rica in the long term. By becoming a member of Tropica Verde, you are promoting sustainable climate protection and helping us to continuously develop and expand conservation projects.   <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_button_module_wrapper et_pb_button_0_wrapper preset--module--divi-button--70b994c3-2b68-43f9-baa1-aee328fdc428_wrapper\"><a class=\"et_pb_button_0 et_pb_button et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module button preset--module--divi-button--70b994c3-2b68-43f9-baa1-aee328fdc428\" href=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/support-and-donate\/membership\/\">BECOME A MEMBER NOW<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_column_10 et_pb_column et_pb_column_1_5 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_column_empty et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":244567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[236,209,246],"tags":[152,297,296,295,403],"class_list":["post-244582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sdg-12-en","category-educational-work-germany","category-knowledge-animals-plants","tag-costa-rica-en","tag-environmental-protection","tag-monoculture","tag-pineapple","tag-regenwaldschutz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244582"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":252555,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244582\/revisions\/252555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}