The intensive use of agrotoxics, polluted water for human consumption, health problems in entire populations and the displacement of peasant communities turned the production of this tropical fruit into one of the main environmental conflicts in the past years in Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica, this activity is mainly in the hands of transnational corporations such as Del Monte and Dole, and this country is the world´s largest pineapple exporter, surpassing Brazil, and reaching sales worth over 600 million dollars and a 10% annual growth. The crop is also an example of the land grabbing phenomenon, since this agribusiness crop takes up to 50 thousand hectares of lands.

The communities affected by the crop have resisted the expansion of this monoculture in many ways. One of the most visible tools are the bans of local governments on the limit of pineapple expansion.

Erlinda Quesada, member of the National Front of Sectors Affected by the Production of Pineapple and a representative of the Municipal Council of Guacimo, talked to Real World Radio about the implementation of the ban to pineapple expansion in Guacimo and Pococi.

Quesada believes this ban is a response to the pressure of affected communities, since in La Francia, Luiciana and El Cairo the population denounced the pollution of their water sources caused by agrotoxics related to the cultivation of pineapple.

Quesada also said that despite the implementation of the ban, the
production companies continue threatening communities with a new strategy: the business sector, a promoter together with the government of the Responsible Pineapple Project, is evading criticism and responsibilities for the impacts caused by this activity.

¨The Responsible Pineapple Project has been promoted for over a year now¨, said Erlinda Quesada, who compared this project with a ¨cover¨ to try to hide the effects of this agribusiness on environment and communities.

¨Even though it is called ¨responsible¨ we see this crop is increasingly irresponsible, even making communities disappear. This is a cover to lie to the population¨, said Quesada.

By Coecoceiba- AT Costa Rica