By Wendy Anders – The Costa Rica Star, 5 June 2017

Southern Costa Rica's wetlands

Southern Costa Rica’s wetlands

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– Protestors took to the streets again this Monday, two weeks after a similar demonstration in San José criticized deforestation and pollution caused by pineapple farming in Costa Rica.

While Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís was giving a public talk to commemorate World Environment Day, some young protestors stood in front of him with a banner reading “De Muerte” or “of death” painted on a Del Monte logo.

Solís was presenting the country’s national strategy to replace single use plastics with renewable and compostables alternatives when the protesters shouted “No more pineapple expansion!” said reports in local media.

When event organizers were going to remove the protestors, Solís asked them to let the protestors remain. The President heard out the protestors on their objections to pineapple expansion especially in the southern region, saying, “We are working with strategies to ensure that pineapples will not pollute the environment.”

Environmentalists also demonstrated today in downtown San José and called for an investigation of officials of the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) that granted environmental feasibility permits for pineapple farms near the protected Sierpe Térraba Wetlands.

The Green Block Foundation organized the demonstration, and said to media that pineapple production causes water pollution and illegal deforestation.

According to data on the SETENA website, from 2015 – 2017, the agency approved 29 environmental impact studies for new pineapple plantations, resulting in 6,258 hectares of forest converted into an agricultural monoculture.

Also read:

Marcha contra la expansión piñera! ¡Moratoria Ya!

*Photos & Videos*

Hundreds Gather in San José Against Pineapple Expansion

The Costa Rica News, 25 May 2017

Pineapple Expansion in Southern Costa Rica Sparks Outrage, Protest

By Wendy Anders – The Costa Rica Star, 11 May 2017

 

This post is also available in: Spanish