Colombia Moves to Revive Aerial Eradication of Coca Crops
Colombia is moving rapidly to revive aerial eradication of coca, but the chemical at the centre of its first proposed test will not be glyphosate, known commercially as “Round Up”. The government of President Abelardo de la Espriella has approved a pilot programme to test the aerial spraying of coca crops with glufosinate ammonium, an […]
Colombia is set to resume aerial eradication of coca crops, but this time with a different herbicide than the controversial glyphosate. President Abelardo de la Espriella's government has approved a pilot project to test glufosinate ammonium, an alternative to the Round Up herbicide. The decision marks a significant shift from the suspension of aerial eradication under the previous administration of Juan Manuel Santos.
However, environmental, health, and legal concerns still need to be addressed before any spraying can occur. The seven-day pilot project, if approved, will cover no more than 1,000 hectares. The location remains undisclosed, citing security concerns. Before any spraying, the government must obtain an environmental-management plan from the National Authority for Environmental Licenses.
The use of glufosinate, while different from glyphosate, still raises environmental and health concerns, as it is classified as a moderately hazardous pesticide. The urgency behind the decision stems from the massive expansion of coca cultivation in Colombia, which reached 260,000 hectares in 2024, the highest recorded in the country's history.
Written by urgent.news from The City Paper Bogotá's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
