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Costa Rican biologist and ecologist Isabel Mendez achieved a landmark achievement in environmental protection and public health for her country, as her efforts and persistence led to the ban of the widely used agricultural pesticide chlorothalonil in Costa Rica.
Chlorothalonil is primarily used as a fungicide, bactericide, and nematicide, and is effective against a wide range of vegetable and fruit crops. However, the use of chlorothalonil has been banned in the European Union (EU) since 2019. The chemical was found to be a groundwater contaminant and a suspected human carcinogen.
Mendes has been a relentless voice in the fight to protect ecosystems and human health from this pesticide. Seeing clear water turn toxic, affecting not only plants and animals, but also the rural communities that rely on it, has made him fight.
She challenged the industry that profited from chlorothalonil with data, research and admirable perseverance. However, the hardest fight was against the apathy of the authorities and the indifference of a significant part of society. She was largely ignored because chlorothalonil was seen as a necessity for agricultural productivity.
Mendes continued to provide evidence that the chemical was damaging the environment and endangering human health, mobilizing different groups, academia, and the media, ultimately forcing the government to take action.
In August 2024, Costa Rica banned the use of thiophanate-methyl, becoming one of the few countries to take such a tough stance on the chemical.
While many welcomed the decision, the agricultural sector is concerned that it will hurt productivity. However, Mendes, along with experts and researchers, is working to prove sustainable alternatives that will not threaten people or the environment.
Warnings from the agricultural sector should spur action from a government that has long ignored producers. The fight against this pesticide is one of many environmental battles in the country. Despite Costa Rica’s self-proclaimed “greenness,” its actions are often insufficient. This milestone rekindles hope that Costa Rica truly lives up to its constitutional mandate to protect the environment and maintain a healthy, balanced environment.
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