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U.S. will support Costa Rica in use of reduced-risk pesticides

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November 21st, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) The United States will provide technical support to Costa Rica to increase use of “reduced-risk” pesticides, which have a lesser impact on the environment, official sources said yesterday.

 

The aid was agreed to yesterday by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the State Phytosanitary Service under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 

Under the agreement, the parties may identify the need for common pest management and participate in training and testing, amongst other activities.

 

Under the program, known as the USDA’s Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4), pesticides should prove to be safe for fish, wildlife, and birds, and should have little or no impact on surface or subsurface waters, and should have minimal adverse effects on beneficial insects.

 

Costa Rica ranks far ahead of any country in the world in its use of pesticides – more than double number two Colombia, according to rankings by the World Resources Institute.  

 

According to the ranking, Costa Rica uses an average of 51.2 kilograms of pesticides per hectare of cropland.  Number two Colombia uses an average of 16.7 kilograms per hectare.

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  • mhogan

    How about instead of changing to “reduced-risk” pesticides, how about taking action against people who indiscriminately over-use ANY pesticides PUNTO!! Probably those who fall into this category are below the mental level of understanding the consequences of over-use — maybe their brains are wiped out from the practice itself. Something’s gotta account for those idiots who think more is better, don’t know what 50:1 means or can’t be bothered, who wave their insecticide/herbicide pump handle around like it’s an extension of their manhood — the bigger the better , ditto for how much they spray; wear no protection and could care less for animals grazing nearby. I see these idiots all the time in rural areas– have lost animals and now have reduced flocks of birds to help take care of the insect population. MAG is useless!

  • disqus_r8w0IwvvLw

    “IR-4… works with land-grant researchers and EPA to
    make sure specialty crops get at least some sort of access to those
    pesticides. An IR-4 trial, for example, will study an existing pesticide
    to see if it works on a certain specialty crop. The data goes to EPA,
    which decides if the pesticide should be registered for use on that
    crop.”
    USING COSTA RICA AS AN EXPERIMENTAL AREA BECAUSE funding for this IR-4 has a BIG chance of having 30% of its funding cut by usa government!! Do they then sell the food to Ticos to eat?? How about using organic and biodynamic methods? The younger generation here is getting wise to this nonsense and there is an organic movement on the rise luckily!

  • expatin paradise

    The worst polluters here are the US-based mega-farmers. If Costa Rica is to get advice from any entity, it shouldn’t be the USDA, pimp to Monsanto, Dow, and friends. The standards cited, that “pesticides should prove to be safe for fish, wildlife, and birds, and
    should have little or no impact on surface or subsurface waters, and
    should have minimal adverse effects on beneficial insects”, do not apply to US agricultural practices where pesticide and herbicide use has multiplied several times in the past couple of decades.

    • jdennisg

      And exactly which pesticides are proven “to be safe for fish, wildlife, and birds, and should have little or no impact on surface or subsurface waters?” What, are these folk nuts? NONE of them meet these qualifications.

  • http://www.facebook.com/fhuh.kew Fhuh Kew

    That’s like asking Satan for spiritual advice.

  • http://alligatorsnroadkill.blogspot.com/ John Dungan

    Interesting. On the one hand, I do not agree with those who are now claiming that somehow the U. S. is to blame for Costa Rica’s increased use of pesticide, and on the other, would not the logical way to effect this change to ‘safe’ pesticides involve a simple identification of those that are deemed to be harmful, and then a ban on them?

  • Fernando Gerdano

    Costa Rica the # 1 country in the world in use of pesticides and also one of highest stomach cancer rates in the world hummmm.

    There is also no organic food here at all for all the fresh food lovers. Unless you believe the one farmer at the feria with a little cardboard sign that says “Organico” and is charging more than the others. I believe that like the guy in Nigeria is going to share that $20 million settlement he has with me. Pura vida.

  • mhogan

    It surprises me that no one is talking about banning Dihydrogen Monoxide. This toxic substance is often used in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical. Even the environmentalists so concerned with CO2 emissions should realize the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide since it contributes to the “greenhouse effect”. Even scientists at AyA are realizing their pipes are reaching critical mass of this substance, yet they are doing absolutely nothing about it. Seems to me Lady Laura is missing out on a great opportunity for revenue if the government could devise a tax, much like the carbon emission tax, to regulate the use of this chemical. Wait! I think it’s already in the works. Good show, Costa Rica!

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