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6 June 2011 | News | Resisting neoliberalism | Food Sovereignty
Four Years
Costa Rica: communities affected by pineapple expansion demand right to drinking water
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Several Costa Rican communities -such as Cairo, Francia and Luisiana- in Limon Province have had to get water from tankers, since the water from community sources has been polluted with agrotoxics such as Diuron, Bromacil and Triadimefon. These poisonous substances are sprayed on pineapple monoculture plantations owned by big transnational corporations.
According to studies conducted by the Regional Toxic Substances Research Institute, the water that reaches local communities through the pipe network is polluted since 2003. The residents of the area have reported the presence of nearly 22 agrotoxics in the water supplied to them.
Meanwhile, the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Department states in their latest report that pineapple exports increased by 12 per cent last year. This expansion has serious effects for the communities living near the plantations.
This economic activity, which covers over 50,000 hectares according to official figures, is displacing banana plantations -the other historical monoculture in the region. Pineapple is the main agricultural product for export in Costa Rica today. Exports of these two fruits are almost entirely controlled by transnational companies such as Dole and Del Monte.
According to officers from the state agency in charge of the distribution of drinking water in Costa Rica, supplying water to the affected communities with tankers has so far costed over 770,000 dollars from public money.
Experts from the University of Costa Rica consider these costs are an “abuse”, since the State is paying what transnational corporations should be paying. Private pineapple corporations are profiting at the expense of public resources.
Maria Suares, member of the Rural Women Network and resident of Cairo de Siquirres, participated on May 26th in a forum held at the Economic Sciences School of the University of Costa Rica. There, she talked about the emergency situation that the affected communities of Limon are going through as a result of the pineapple monoculture plantations in the area.
Real World Radio’s correspondent in Costa Rica was present in the activity. “It is extremely difficult for older people and people with disabilities to gather water”, said Suares. The leader also talked about how animals are affected by drinking polluted water.
Meanwhile, the president of the Administration of Drinking Water and Sanitation Systems of Milano (Limon Province), Xinia Briseño, exposed the lack of action by the Health Ministry, because it is not paying attention to the concerns of the people affected. Briseño added that authorities have failed to build another aqueduct, despite the 2009 court decision to build one before May, 2011.
