Monsanto has suffered a serious setback!
For the 1st time, a Latin American country, Colombia, has banned the application of glyphosate-based products.
As a direct consequence of this decision, Monsanto's flagship product, Roundup, can no longer be used in this country.
What if this initiative had a snowball effect in Latin America?
It was the Colombian government that was behind this decision, applicable to the entire territory.
It must be said that with its 47 million inhabitants, Colombia was the only country to still practice the aerial spraying of Roundup.
In the line of sight:the cocaine traffickers and their fields of illegal coca cultivation.
The purpose of this technique was indeed to destroy illegal coca crops.
But should the fight against drug trafficking be at the expense of the health of Colombians?
The spreading technique has always been questioned by farmers, environmentalists and experts.
Everyone is worried about the negative consequences for health and the environment.
Americans don't hear it that way.
On the contrary, they encourage the spreading of Roundup, which they do not consider harmful, to combat coca cultivation.
Let's not forget that Colombia is one of the leading producers and suppliers of cocaine in the world.
Until the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Roundup a “probable carcinogen”...
The spreading of this product was one of the weapons used to destroy the coca fields and thus fight against drug trafficking.
But since the WHO classified Roundup in the category of “probable carcinogen”, the Colombian Minister of Health, Alejandro Gaviria, decided to ban its spreading.
He had to face opposition from Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon, who fears that this ban will further develop the illegal cultivation of coca.
In the end, the Narcotics Board decided by seven votes to one:the spreading of products containing glyphosate was indeed prohibited.
Moreover, according to Daniel Mejia, director of the Center for Studies on Security and Drugs at the University of the Andes, this technique was ineffective in the fight against coca cultivation.
The health of Colombians therefore becomes a priority on the fight against drug trafficking in Colombia. In the end, it's a failure for Monsanto and a step forward for organic.
