Colombia: Aerial Fumigation, Glyphosate & Cosmo-Flux 411F
Submit by: http://wakemenow.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/colombia-aerial-fumigation-glyphosate-cosmo-flux-411f/.
Following is an excerpt from the (very) rough draft of my report on the U.S. “war on drugs” in relation to Colombia
According to the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP):
The ONDCP website (on Targeting Cocaine at the Source) explains that aerial eradication measures are used to eradicate coca plants and claims that these measures have been successful up-to-date. An excerpt from the site states:
Aerial eradication remains central to the strategy for destroying potential coca base and cocaine hydrochloride in Colombia
In taking a closer look at what aerial fumigation and eradication consists of and its consequences, we find that there is a lack of research conducted to determine the safety of using the herbicide formulations currently being sprayed in Colombia
Glyphosate is generally sold as the active ingredient in commercial formulations, which typically also include water and a surfactant. Manufacturers are not required to release the exact formulations or to identify the chemicals used as surfactants as this is considered proprietary information and because they are assumed to be inert, that is, not having herbicidal activity. Surfactants, a class of chemicals considered to be inert, are used to aid in penetration of the waxy cuticle of plant leaves. In Colombia , the formulation used does contain a surfactant, but not one approved for use in the U.S. 411F , is manufactured by the Colombian company Cosmoagro and has not been subject to the same testing requirements as the surfactants being used in the U.S. and Canada
In the summer of 2001, it was reported that Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), a British chemicals manufacturer, had stopped supplying one of the ingredients used in the manufacture of Cosmo-Flux 411F , Atplus 300F , citing reports of illness that plagued the regions where the new fumigation programs had been executed (Sherret, 2005, p. 157). Imperial Chemical Industries did not want to be associated with such a program and also cited the lack of evidence of the effects of mixing the additive with glyphosate.
The fumigation efforts in Colombia
There is also a good bit of controversy surrounding the varied results of the scientific testing of these formulations, with regulatory agency reviewers siding with Monsanto in more cases than not, discrediting or ignoring the results of independent studies and dismissing the methodology used despite them being published in reputable, peer-reviewed scientific journals (Sherret, 2005, p. 158). In one section (Reproductive and Endocrinological Effects), the reviewers cite only two studies, both of which were undertaken by Monsanto researchers as the basis for their conclusion (Sherret, 2005, p. 158). This information is quite disconcerting and lends credence to suspicions that corruption exists within the corporations manufacturing these products and the U.S.
In research conducted on the glyphosate formulation Roundup (a variant of which is being used in the fumigation mixture in Colombia
The study examined the regulation of cell cycle checkpoints and found that Roundup induced a concentration-dependent deregulatory effect, although the concentrations inducing the observed changes were higher than what would result from normal uses of the pesticide. Even with this discrepancy, the researchers still warned that the safety of glyphosate and Roundup on human health should be questioned. Cell cycle regulation at the embryonic stage is key for normal fetal development. Disruptions to the regular cell cycle have implications for development as well as carcinogenesis.
Basically what that is saying is that the ingredients of the formulation of Roundup used in Colombia 100 feet over lands populated by people in another nation, despite protests on behalf of those receiving the spraying and the concerns expressed by knowledgeable scientists all throughout the international scientific community. This is a major issue all unto itself and it’s shocking to know this is being carried out by one of the world’s leading superpowers.
The ONDCP justifies these measures by simply claiming, “Cocaine production in Colombia constitutes a threat to U.S.
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Primary source for this excerpt: Sherret, L. (2005). Futility in Action: Coca Fumigation in Colombia
Additional links of interest:
Click here to read what the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has to say about the health and environmental risks associated with the use of glyphosate.
The Pesticide Action Network of the UK
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is also taking issue with glyphosate and its use in Roundup formulations.
Keep in mind that Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, is the same company responsible for creating Agent Orange for the eradication of forests during the Vietnam War. We’re all familiar with how well that went.
