Fact Sheet, U.S. State Department Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, July 12, 2000

Fact Sheet, U.S. State Department Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, July 12, 2000
Fact Sheet: U.S. Support for Colombia Illicit Crop Eradication Efforts
(Answers frequently asked questions) (1470)

Following is the text of a fact sheet on United States support for Colombia, examining health and environmental issues related to the aerial eradication of illicit crops. The fact sheet was issued July 10 by the U.S. State Department's Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

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United States Support For Colombia
Fact Sheet released by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
July 10, 2000

The Aerial Eradication of Illicit Crops: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION: What chemicals are being used in Colombia for the eradication of illicit crops?

ANSWER: The only chemical currently used for aerial eradication is glyphosate, which is one of the most widely used agricultural chemicals in the world. It is commercially available under many different brands in Colombia and worldwide.

QUESTION: Has glyphosate been tested for environmental safety?

ANSWER: Yes. Glyphosate has been extensively tested and evaluated in Colombia, in the United States, and in other countries around the globe. Worldwide, it is among the most widely used herbicides by volume and is currently employed in over 100 countries for a variety of agricultural purposes. In 1974, after thorough review of testing results, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved glyphosate for general use. In the United States, glyphosate was used on about 5-10 million hectares annually in the 1980s and the EPA estimates current use to be between 38 and 48 million pounds annually.

QUESTION: Does glyphosate harm cattle, chickens, or other farm animals?

ANSWER: No. Glyphosate is poorly absorbed from the digestive tract and is largely excreted unchanged by mammals. When received orally or through the skin, it has a very low acute toxicity. In long-term feeding studies of cows, chickens, and pigs, levels of glyphosate were undetectable in muscle tissue, fat, milk, and eggs.

QUESTION: Is glyphosate harmful to human beings?

ANSWER: No. Glyphosate is one of the least harmful herbicides to appear on the world market. Toxicological studies have shown that glyphosate is less toxic than common salt, aspirin, caffeine, nicotine, and even vitamin A. Glyphosate has been proven through testing to be unlikely to have any reproductive effects and poses little risk for genetic defects in humans. The EPA has declared that glyphosate is not cancer-causing in humans and classified glyphosate as "category E," the most favorable category possible on a scale of carcinogenicity. Although it is a minor eye irritant, glyphosate did not have any adverse effects when applied to the skin during testing on humans. The EPA has also concluded that the chronic dietary risk posed by glyphosate food uses is minimal.

QUESTION: Does glyphosate destroy the soil and prevent plant growth?

ANSWER: No. Glyphosate enters a plant through contact with its leaves and only kills plants that are above ground at the time of spraying. It stops acting as a herbicide when it comes into contact with the soil, for glyphosate is rapidly and strongly bound to the soil. There it is quickly broken down by microorganisms and readily and completely biodegrades in the soil. Thus the rejuvenation of plant growth (naturally or through replanting) can begin immediately after spraying.

As a matter of fact, glyphosate is used in conservation tillage in millions of acres in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil to replace conventional tillage. Glyphosate is applied over the weeds in the field and then new seeds are planted immediately without moving the soil. This is part of what is called "sustainable agriculture," because the process improves the quality of the soil by increasing its organic content as dead weeds, in addition to crop residue, become humus over time. Glyphosate is even used by coffee growers in Colombia to prevent erosion in sloping areas, because its application does not require the use of tools that disturb the soil.

QUESTION: Does glyphosate contaminate the water where it is sprayed?

ANSWER: Glyphosate bonds tightly to the soil and thus is unlikely to wash into or contaminate drinking water. When it does enter a water source, it rapidly attaches to soil particles in the water and is quickly broken down by microbes. In water, glyphosate has a half-life of a few days. One formulation of glyphosate is specifically used to control weeds in or adjacent to water.

QUESTION: Is glyphosate dangerous for the environment?

ANSWER: Glyphosate is only slightly toxic to wild birds and practically non-toxic to fish. It is minimally retained and rapidly eliminated in fish, birds, and mammals. As noted above, it rapidly decomposes in soil and water without any significant effects on the microorganisms that help perform this task. In fact, glyphosate is considered so benign that it is even used for vegetation control on the Galapagos Islands, one of the most fragile and environmentally protected areas in the hemisphere.

QUESTION: Is spraying contributing to the deforestation of Colombia?

ANSWER: Deforestation is increasing at an alarming rate in Colombia and threatens the future health of all Colombians. As indicated above, the spraying of coca and opium poppy fields with glyphosate does not harm the soil and allows for the rapid regeneration of native plant species. Damage from deforestation is wrought by drug cultivators who must cut down up to four hectares of forest for each hectare of coca planted, two-and-a-half hectares of forest for each hectare of opium poppy, and who then poison the surrounding streams with the chemicals used in narcotics processing. Spraying discourages the cultivation of illicit crops and allows the natural forest to regenerate, while deforestation and environmental destruction are occurring fastest in areas where the spray program does not operate.

QUESTION: Is the use of glyphosate in Colombia restricted to eradication of illegal crops?

ANSWER: No, glyphosate has been used widely in Colombia for many agricultural purposes since 1975. In fact, the Government of Colombia's illicit crop aerial eradication program uses less than 10% of the total amount of glyphosate used in Colombia each year. It is commonly used for pre-seeding rice, cotton, corn, sorghum, barley, and soybeans; for weed control amongst plantations of fruit trees, plantain and banana for export, and African palm; and as a maturing agent in the production of sugar cane. Glyphosate is also used extensively in the production of Colombian coffee.

QUESTION: How is the spray program monitored?

ANSWER: The Colombian Government employs a private environmental consulting company that works full time as an environmental monitor of the eradication program. This office oversees the spray program and controls closely the chemical solution, the environmental conditions under which spraying can take place, the effectiveness of aerial spraying, and the areas sprayed.

QUESTION: Does the spray program damage legitimate crops?

ANSWER: Spray planes do everything possible to avoid damage to licit crops while spraying illegal coca and opium poppy crops. Unfortunately, when these legitimate crops are planted among or alongside illicit crops, this is not always possible. Farmers who have had their legal crops sprayed can lodge complaints with, and expect a full investigation from, the offices of the Colombian Public Defender, Attorney General, the Colombian National Police, and/or the eradication program's environmental auditor. Experience has shown that pastures (the most common licit cropland adjacent to coca) recover quickly if accidentally sprayed.

QUESTION: Why doesn't the United States Government fund alternative development programs instead of spraying illegal crops?

ANSWER: The United States Government works closely with Colombia's national plan for alternative development (PNDA) and is convinced that alternative development is an essential part of the solution to the world's illegal drug problem. In 1999, the United States Government has earmarked $5 million to support alternative development in Colombia. Alternative development, however, is a long-term process and will work best in Colombia when accompanied by aerial spraying that decreases a farmer's chances of profiting from criminal activity. For much of the coca growing areas, especially deep in the Guaviare, other factors such as soil quality, remoteness, and inadequate infrastructure make alternative development in those regions an option unlikely to succeed.

QUESTION: Doesn't the spray program hurt the small farmer who has no other way of earning a living?

ANSWER: The spray program is directed primarily toward large cultivations of illicit crops, but smaller fields cultivated by campesinos are often financed by narcotraffickers and are equally illegal. Many Colombians presently suffer from severe economic hardship. This unfortunate fact should not be used by anybody as an excuse to pursue a livelihood that is unlawful, environmentally destructive, and causes further harm to the nation of Colombia. Furthermore, the illegal drug trade contributes to economic destabilization in Colombia by distorting the prices of legal goods and driving up land prices for all Colombians.

As of July 14, 2000, this document was also available online at http://usinfo.state.gov/admin/011/lef301.htm