Background

Plan Colombia: Bad for the Environment, Ineffective Against Drug Crops

Getting to the Root of the Drug Problem

A plane spraying herbicides in Colombia

Photo: Jeremy Bigwood

For decades, herbicides have been sprayed from the air throughout Colombia to destroy the coca, cannabis, and poppy crops used in making cocaine, marijuana, and heroin. Today, the United States funds a multi-billion dollar program through the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The funding supports not only the spraying of coca and poppy crops, but also expanded anti-narcotics operations, increased aerial drug interdiction, support for the Colombian National Police, activities to strengthen the judicial and human rights systems, and alternative development projects.

Just Say No -- to Healthy Water and Habitat?

Herbicides sprayed to kill coca plants have destroyed this farmer's food crops.

Photo: Witness for Peace

Unfortunately, the spraying causes significant environmental, social, and economic damage, and has proven to be an ineffective tool for eradicating drug crops. The spray mixture used is potentially harmful to biodiversity, and threatens hundreds of species found nowhere else in the world. The spraying also contaminates water used for drinking and bathing, and is destroying legal food crops throughout the rural countryside. Additionally, continual spraying forces farmers to move their coca crops to previously pristine and undeveloped areas, spreading contamination and expanding the threat to wilderness, biodiversity and national parks.

Making Governments Obey the Law

Because of these impacts, many organizations and institutions have criticized the aerial fumigation program. Earthjustice has been working since 1999 to make the US and Colombian governments comply with laws intended to protect the environment and human health. In so doing, we have worked closely with our Latin American partner, AIDA, and collaborated with organizations and authorities from both the United States and Colombia.

Learn more about this issue:

Read more about the aerial spraying from our Latin American partner AIDA

Critiques of the recent scientific studies on the safety of the spray mixture (PDF)

AIDA's Alternative Development Report (PDF)