Coca fumigation in Colombia

The Washington Office on Latin America just published a study about fumigation of coca in Colombia. Here is the main conclusion:

The current strategy of attacking cultivation undermines the already precarious livelihoods of the Colombian peasants, settlers, indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombians who plant coca to survive, thereby increasing rather than lessening their reliance on coca. Aerial spraying with glyphosate and other chemicals is causing serious environmental, cultural and social damage. Another consequence is the repeated violation of rights that are well-established in international legislation, rights which the government has committed itself to safeguarding.

Are there alternatives to fumigation of crops for illicit use? Projects proposed and implemented by affected communities have shown that reducing coca through the stimulation of productive legal alternatives is possible, particularly when projects are supported by international cooperation and committed stakeholders and are consonant with the interests and know-how of local communities. Guaranteeing the sustainability of such projects is the key to offering a dignified life to thousands of rural Colombian families living in poverty. Only with viable alternatives in place can progress be made in lessening reliance on coca.

It is well worth the read, as it provides a clearly written summary of all the problems associated with aerial spraying, with a primary focus on how it affects the most vulnerable rural populations, and includes specific alternative policy suggestions to create incentives for peasants to grow something other than coca.