Historique
Rapport
Fungus versus coca. UNDCP and the biological war on drugs in Colombia
Auteur(s) :
JELSMA, M.
Année
2000
Page(s) :
5 p.
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Éditeur(s) :
Amsterdam : Transnational Institute (TNI)
Collection :
Briefing paper
Refs biblio. :
16
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
MAR (Marchés / Markets)
Thésaurus mots-clés
COCA
;
CULTURE ALTERNATIVE
;
REPRESSION
;
ECOLOGIE
;
EVALUATION
Thésaurus géographique
COLOMBIE
Résumé :
The Colombian government and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) are close to signing a contract marking the start of biological warfare against coca in Southern Colombia. The plan will initiate a series of open field tests with the Fusarium oxysporum fungus aimed at evaluating its effectiveness against coca bush and assessing the environmental risks involved. According to the draft project document: "At the end of this project, an environmentally safe, reliable and effective specific biological control agent for coca bush will be available for use in Colombia, the rest of the Andean region and, possibly elsewhere in the world". The plan aims to have the coca-killing mycoherbicide sufficiently tested, developed and ready for large-scale aerial application by 2002.The project raises serious concerns in terms of its very clear environmental risks including the danger that the fungus could attack other plant species, the social consequences for the war-driven refugees dependent on the coca survival economy and the questionable role of a United Nations agency facilitating such a controversial agenda in the midst of a peace process.
Affiliation :
Pays-Bas. Netherlands.
Cote :
A01440