Andean Nations say no to coca-killing fungus

      By Sharon Stevenson

      LIMA, Peru - In what may well be the death knell for a disputed US anti-drug initiative, environment representatives from the five Andean Community countries have agreed on behalf of their governments to reject the use of the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum, against drug crops after a two-day meeting in Lima, Peru. The declaration also supported Colombian government decision to not conduct field tests with the fungus. Peru and Ecuador have already said they will not use biological agents against drug crops.

      Principle concerns centered on a possible cross-border spread of the fungus and its potential effects on biological diversity , "We're worried about the risk that comes with the introduction of this Fusarium or tomorrow some other [organisim] on the Amazon ecosystem and the health of people in this zone," said Francisco Pareja, member of the Ecuadoran delegation and Under-Secretary for Sustainable Development in Ecuador's Environment Ministry.

      The measure on behalf of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, essentially stops the US push for eventual application of the fungus, which has been developed by the US Dept. of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) over the last 13 years. Stiff media and expert concern about the mutability and safety of the fungus developed after a US initiated UN proposal to Colombia to develop and use the fungus against its burgeoning coca production prompted regional reaction against it as smacking of biological warfare. Pareja said they became concerned after the press reported alleged spraying of the fungus on Ecuador's border with Colombia near the town of Surcumbios.

      The US congress conditioned the $1.3 billion for Plan Colombia on human rights improvements and on Colombia's agreeing to use a "tested, environmentally safe" mycoherbicide, or fungal herbicide, on its drug crops. But after two years of pushing Colombia to use the fungus the administration only recently admitted that the use of the fungus has biological warfare implications.

      An August 22nd memo justifying President Clinton's grant of a waiver for the congressional conditions, says the United States will not support the use of mycoherbicides against the Colombian coca crop unless "...a broader national security assessment, including consideration of the potential impact on biological weapons proliferation and terrorism, provides a solid foundation for concluding that the use of this particular drug control tool is in our national interest..."

      Fearing the specter of association with anti-crop biological warfare, the ARS and State Dept, have consistently labeled the fungus as a killer of the coca "weed" and even now refuse to call it a "crop." Anti-crop biological agents were developed by the Defense Dept. for potential use against the Asian rice crop in the Second World War and the Vietnam War and were later banned from development. Media reports pointed out the dubious "weed" designation, so now in a Fact Sheet released by the State Department's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement section coca planting is disguised as the euphemistic "agricultural-related target."

      The Andean group, according to one participant, did not consider the potential cross-border problem of Peru's 15-year Fusarium oxysporum epidemic. Residents of almost all of Peru's coca-growing regions allege that helicopters have overflown their plots spraying them with a "white cloud" after which their coca and food crops die or are irreversibly debilitated. Both the US and Peru have denied any spray operations. The administration eradication assessments over the last decade have ignored the fungus' wide-spread effect on coca growing and soil contamination, admitting only in one year, 1993, that a 16% drop in coca cultivation was largely due to the fungus.

      The group will also propose to a Amazonian foreign ministers meeting in November that the rest of the Amazon countries join in an ad hoc committee to track and exchange information on any anti-drug crop biocontrol.

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      Sharon Stevenson is a well-known freelance investigative reporter currently working in Peru under a grant from the MacArthur Foundation. She can be reached at: <ssteve@amauta.rcp.net.pe. Earlier this week, her report on the Andean nation's refusal to submit to outside biocontrols was heard on NPR:

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      Anti-coca fungus rejection

      Five Andean countries have declared a joint rejection of the use of a
      fungus which kills coca plants. Sharon Stevenson reports from Lima that
      the Andean environmental authorities were concerned in the wake of US
      and UN pressure on Colombia to test and use a fungus developed by the US
      Dept. of Agriculture.

      In the declaration representatives from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador,
      Peru and Bolivia said they would not allow use of the fungus Fusarium
      oxysporum in their territory and supported the decisions of the
      Colombian, Ecuadoran and Peruvian governments to prohibit its use. The
      controversial fungus had brought charges of biowarfare from critics who
      pointed out that the fungus could mutate and that testing to prove its
      safety had not been done. The Andean representatives said they feared
      the harmful effect the fungus could have on the Amazon's biodiversity
      and its peoples and will seek to gain the support of the rest of the
      Amazon basin countries at a foreign ministers meeting in November.
      The US congress demanded that Colombia develop and apply the fungus, to
      qualify for Plan Colombia funds but the White House waived the condition
      admitting that a national security assessment, was needed including
      consideration of the potential impact of the fungus use on biological
      weapons proliferation and terrorism.

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      The declaration is at
      <http://www.comunidadandina.org/document/declar/7-9-00.htm

      Here is a rough translation Sharon has sent for those of us who do not read Spanish. Below the translation is the original.

      DECLARATION OF THE ANDEAN COMMITTEE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITIES - CAAAM

      The environmental authorities present in the II Ordinary Meeting of the Andean Committee of Environmental Authorities - CAAAM, held in the city of Lima, the 5th and 6th of September, 2000,

      Declare:

      Their rejection of the use of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum as a tool for the eradication of illicit crops in the territory of the Member countries of the Andean Community.

      Their solidarity with the government of Colombia and in particular with the Ministry of Environment in its decision to not do tests with the fungus Fusarium oxysporum.

      It's support for the initiatives towards the hunt for joint solutions for environmental protection as well as national initiatives directed to this end, such as the Supreme Decree No. 004/2000-AG on the prohibition of the use of biological agents in coca plantations promulgated by the Government of Peru.

      It's support of the decision of the Government of Ecuador especially the Environment Ministry to not permit the use of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum or other biological agent in its territory.

      [released in Lima, Peru, Sept. 7, 2000]

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      Declaración del Comité Andino de Autoridades Ambientales (CAAAM)

      Las autoridades ambientales presentes en la II Reunión Ordinaria del Comité Andino de Autoridades Ambientales (CAAAM), celebrada en la ciudad de Lima, los días 5 y 6 de septiembre de 2000,

      DECLARAN:

      Su rechazo a la utilización del hongo Fusarium oxysporum, como herramienta para la erradicación de cultivos ilícitos en el territorio de los Países Miembros de la Comunidad Andina.

      Su solidaridad con el Gobierno de Colombia y en particular con el Ministerio del Medio Ambiente en su decisión de no hacer pruebas con el hongo Fusarium oxysporum.

      Su respaldo a las iniciativas tendientes a la búsqueda de soluciones conjuntas para la protección ambiental, así como a las iniciativas nacionales dirigidas a ese fin, como el Decreto Supremo No.004/2000-AG sobre la prohibición del uso de agentes biológicos en plantaciones de coca promulgado por el Gobierno de Perú.

      Su apoyo a la decisión del Gobierno del Ecuador en especial del Ministerio del Ambiente de no permitir el uso del hongo Fusarium oxysporum u otro agente biológico en su territorio.

La República
Viernes, 8 de Setiembre del 2000

Autoridades ambientales de la Comunidad Andina Rechazan uso de hongo para combatir cultivos ilegales 

El Comite Andino de Autoridades Ambientales (CAAAM) expreso su rechazo por la utilizacion del hongo Fusarium oxysporum como herramienta para la erradicacion de cultivos ilicitos en el territorio de los paises miembros de la Comunidad Andina. 

El pronunciamiento fue dado a conocer luego de culminar una reunion en la sede de la secretaria general de la Comunidad Andina de Naciones, en la que participaron las autoridades ambientales de Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru y Venezuela. 

El CAAAM respaldo la decision de los gobiernos de Colombia y del Ecuador de no hacer pruebas con el hongo Fusarium oxysporum. Este organismo apoyo ademas las iniciativas tendientes a la busqueda de soluciones conjuntas para la
proteccion ambiental. 

Asimismo, a los dispositivos nacionales para este fin como el Decreto Supremo No 004/2000-AG sobre la prohibicion del uso de agentes biologicos en plantaciones de coca, promulgados por el gobierno peruano. 

El CAAAM fue creado en el marco de la Comunidad Andina por decision 435 suscrita el 11 de junio de 1998, con el proposito de asesorar y apoyar a la secretaria general de la Comunidad Andina en materias relativas a la politica comunitaria sobre medio ambiente.