FORO EMAUS
P.O. Box 106 Siquirres
Limon, COSTA RICA
Tel/Fax: (506) 768-8276
E-mail: foremaus@sol.racsa.co.cr
April 4th, 1997
Dear Friends,
We in the FORO EMAUS (Emaus Forum) would like to invite you to join our
struggle against the problems caused by the banana plantations in Costa
Rica. The FORO EMAUS is a network of 30 diverse organizations (labor
unions, environmental NGOs, indigenous organizations, human rights groups,
Church organizations, grassroots organizations) that came together in 1992
to counteract the social and environmental problems caused by the
uncontrolled expansion of these plantations in the country.
The following are some of the problems against which we are struggling:
-Banana plantations are completely dependent on chemical control, consuming
more than 100 pounds of agrochemicals per worker each year. Some of the
pesticides commonly used are of high toxicity and suited only for extremely
restricted use such as Benomil, while others belong to the "dirty dozen"
such as Paraquat. Excessive use of Clorotanolil, and indiscriminate aireal
fumigations with Beniate, TILT 250 and Tridemorph reach the homes of
workers, and contaminate water sources. (See "Multinational Monitor" vol.
September, 1996 for more information).
-Health conditions and workplace security in the plantations are dismal,
resulting in frequent accidents among workers, as well as allergic,
pulmonary, and cancerous ailments caused by the constant exposure to
pesticides. The condition of Costa Rican banana workers has received
worldwide notoriety with the case of over 6000 banana workers that were
rendered sterile by their undue exposure to the pesticide di-bromo-chloro-
propane (DBCP), and whose effects on the reproductive system of women
workers and mutagenic effects on subsequent generations, is only beginning
to be investigated.
-The managemers of banana companies maintain represive policies against
labor union workers, placing them on "black lists" and firing workers for
political reasons under other pretextes.
-Some 70 percent of the banana workers have no job stability, being hired
only for periods of fewer than 90 days, a practice the banana firms employ
to avoid the social benefits guaranteed to all workers by the Costa Rican
Constitution. These workers are thus forced to drift from plantation to
plantation as temporary workers on a permanent basis, never acquiring social
security, sick leave, retirement, or any other worker rights.
-Other practices employed by the banana companies are the use of contractors
and contracting piece work, in this way avoiding payment of minimum wages.
Four years ago, the salary of a banana worker was the equivalent of $250 a
month. Today it is $187 a month with work loads that go from 12 to 18 hours
a day.
-The banana companies take advantage of the massive migrations to Costa Rica
from countries like Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama, hiring migrants, often
illegal, as a cheap and docile labor force willing to work under the worst
working conditions.
-Banana plantations generate enormous amounts of solid wastes and toxic
garbage such as millions of plastic bags and plastic recipients loaded with
biocide residues, as well as mountains of organic wastes that go untreated
and contribute toward the destruction of the scenery, foul odors, and the
contamination and destruction of the biodiversity of of rivers, mangroves,
coral reefs, and ocean waters.
-Banana plantations in Costa Rica have expanded at the expense of tropical
forests, contributing to one of the world's highest rates of tropical
deforestation and the destruction of the biodiversity these sustain.
As you can see from these few examples, banana plantations in Costa Rica
have been and continue to be the cause of severe environmental problems,
health problems among banana workers, and of dismal social conditions among
workers and communities located in the banana regions of the country.
Costa Rica directs a great part of its exports to the USA. In 1996 almost
half of its banana exports (over two billion pounds of bananas!) went to the
USA. The American consumer, in this regard has the possibility of becoming
an important pressure group to enforce that minimum labor and environmental
conditions are met in the production of the Costa Rican bananas consumed in
the USA.
In the last few years we have successfully carried out coordinated actions
with European organizations who share our concerns. We would like to find
similar organizations and contacts in the USA that could help us in our
lobbying efforts with American consumers.
It is because of this that we ask you for your assistance in our lobbying
efforts in the USA. We would welcome help with the following:
-names and addresses of organizations possibly interested in supporting our
cause in any way;
-the availability of helping us with our urgent actions such as sending
letters, telegrams, e-mail messages, etc.;
-informative documents on the issues that concern us; and
-keeping in touch with us;
Please let us know if you would like to receive more information from us in
order to continue coordinating efforts.
Sincerely yours,
Gerardo Vargas
Executive Secretary
FORO EMAUS