Colombia suspending use of anti-coca herbicide

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Colombia suspending use of anti-coca herbicide
May 9, 2:09 PM EDT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday he is halting use of a herbicide that is a key part of U.S.-financed efforts to wipe out cocaine crops.

Santos said he was taking the move following a Health Ministry recommendation based on a World Health Organization decision to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen.

Speaking at an event in the capital, Bogota, Santos said that defense and health officials should agree on a transition period, during which "spraying of glyphosate has to be replaced with other mechanisms, for example, intensifying manual eradication" of coca plants. The U.S. ambassador to Colombia, Kevin Whitaker, said a decision on whether to use the chemical is a decision for Colombia and the U.S. government respects it.

More than 4 million acres of land in Colombia have been sprayed with the popular weed killer over the past two decades to kill coca plants, whose leaves produce cocaine. The spraying program is partly carried out by U.S. contractors.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_COLOMBIA_DRUGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-05-09-13-52-03

---

(Short article, no more at link.)

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. Wow. That's a victory for the farmers and the environment.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Last night's Vice show was on Round Up..vry revealing.

Scariest fact....90% of the world's production of corn and soybeans is from one seed variety......Monsanto's of course.

Mono-culture dangers apparently have not been considered.

I would love to see other countries stop using Round up and similar poisons.
If Monsanto can make Round Up resistant plants, they can make weed and insect resistant plants that do not use weed killers, IMHO.

[roody]

4. Legalize it. nt

[lark]

5. Good for him!

for him in protecting his countrymen over appeasing the American giant. Brave man.

[lostnfound]

6. Poor Monsanto...

Yay for the fragile frogs.

[Peace Patriot]

7. Hallelujah! What great news!

Thanks for posting it!