Killing the Tree of Life

Hey all, one of our issues locally in Playon Sur Parrita Costa Rica is that Frutas Selectas del Tropico replanted the pineapple plantation at the base of our mountain with bananas.



Soon after the baby banana plants were growing, they put in the ILLEGAL airstrip for their crop duster. Now, on one hand, they are wickedly inconsiderate, starting up at 5:11am and spraying till about 9:00am nearly every day. The biplane has no muffler, and can be quite irritating.



But, bananas don't grow well naturally in Central America, and require annually increasing doses of fungicide to remain productive. The fungicide they use is extremely toxic, and damaging to surrounding property. Our own workers vehicles paint has been destroyed in just a couple of passes of the plane. The pilot isn't careful, and sprays this poison on their own workers in their feilds, on school children on their way to local schools, and on cars, pedestrians, etc on the main road adjacent to the banana plantation.

A year ago our community began checking out the operation there, and found that Frutas Selectas Del Tropico put this airstrip in illegally, with no approval for their air operation. They've paid off local officials to continue operation after we, working with our Tico neighbors, brought this to the attention of the national authorities.



During our January trip, we had some relief, with the pilot not starting operation so very early. But nonetheless, he did spray.





From our veranda (living room) we have a way-too-good view of the illegal airstrip. In these photos, you can see the plane spraying the field below. Notice the tree in the first photo. Its shape reminded us of The Tree of Life.

You can see him applying spray right by it.



While our local community (Alazan, Playon Sur, El Tigre and Parrita) have made headway; this situation is by no means resolved. We would like Frutas Selectas Del Tropico to choose another crop whose maintenance does not pose local human and wildlife health and safety hazards.



We've learned that the major purchaser of these local products is Del Monte Fresh Produce. We have mailed a locally (Costa Rica local) video to Del Monte and ask our friends to write to them, pointing our that their grower is posing environmental hazards to an otherwise quiet group of communities in Costa Rica.





Thanks.



Jim and Dick