Protecting Communities Exposed to Agrochemicals

The website launched a couple of months ago is structured based on three objectives. The first is to raise awareness about socio-environmental conflicts caused by the use given to agrochemicals in the province of Córdoba. The second is to provide information and legal resources, tools for the empowerment of communities in their fight for their rights to health and to healthy environment. The third one is to raise visibility of conflicts through a collaborative platform in which new conflicts can be incorporated, thereby expanding the content.

So far, the “Agrochemical Emergency” site has demonstrated its efficiency in terms of access to legal resources to face the agrochemical problem. Members of different local communities of the Province of Córdoba have been reached through the web portal and they contacted us for inquires and assessment. Based on the legal resources available on the site, various communities have initiated legal action against illegal spraying.

On the other hand, existing conflicts have moved forward, at the same time there has been emergence of new conflicts. We are developing a mapping update by carrying out a survey of the available information and the generation of new community files.

Links:

• Emergencia Agroquimica Websitee

After a research process carried out during 2018, in June we launched the "Agrochemical Emergency" web.

The website is structured based on three objectives. The first is raise awareness about socio-environmental conflicts related to the use of agrochemicals in the province of Córdoba. The second is to provide information and legal resources, tools for the empowerment of communities in their fight for their rights to health and to healthy environment. In the third place, we seek to raise visibility of conflicts through a collaborative platform in which new conflicts can be incorporated, thereby expanding the content.

The mapping on the website is based on an analysis of information collected since 2008, mainly from newspaper articles and online publications related to 17 communities affected by the application of agrochemicals. This includes the towns of Malvinas Argentinas, Barrio Ituzaingo, Channels, Dique Chico, Tyrolean Colony, Alta Gracia, Skirt of Carmen, Colonel Moldes, Marcos Juárez, Montecristo, San Francisco, Huinca Renanco, Morrison, Pozo del Molle, Monte Maíz, Cosquín and Oncativo.

Evidences about "agrochemical emergency" that is lived in the towns of the province of Córdoba are strong enough to structure community based claims. The use of agrochemicals without adequate control by the authorities, non-compliance with current regulations regarding application distances -which also become ineffective for the protection of populations-, are factors that not only affect the environment but also turn into a public health problem. Through the platform they can be made visible, providing a collaborative and open tool that allows the incorporation of new conflicts and access to legal instruments that allow access to environmental justice.

Links:

• Emergencia Agroquimica Website