Between 2000 and 2008, the United States spent more than half a billion dollars for the chemical spraying of approximately 3 million acres of land in Colombia—the world's second most biodiverse country.

Colombia is the only country in the world that allows this spraying—known as fumigation—as an anti-drug practice. Yet the spraying has been a complete failure.

According to U.S. government studies, the area subject to coca cultivation has actually increased by 23 percent since the U.S.-backed fumigation began in earnest, and Colombia remains the leading supplier of cocaine for U.S. markets. Coca farmers simply spread out and relocate the crops, moving deeper into the forest and clearing new areas. The environmental impacts have been disastrous.

Further, the chemical mixture used in Colombia has not been fully tested for environmental or human health impacts under these conditions. People on the ground in affected regions say that the spraying significantly harms both. The concentrations applied are much greater than those commonly used for aerial spraying, and the spray drift lands on food crops, water sources, and even humans. At least 10,000 farmers have reported food crops killed by fumigations, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Health said there is "credible and trustworthy evidence" that fumigations are harmful to human health.

Now is the time to cut U.S. support and funding for this inhumane, ineffective and environmentally destructive program.

Send your letter to President Obama today.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I ask that you cut funding for aerial spraying in Colombia from your Foreign Operations Budget Request to Congress. Instead, I urge you to shift resources to fund domestic drug treatment programs and sustainable development initiatives for Colombian farmers living on the brink of poverty.

We must stop the fumigation because:

- It doesn't work. Despite fumigating 2.6 million acres in Colombia from 2000 through 2007, the land used for coca cultivation increased by 23 percent.

- Fumigation violates Colombians' rights to livelihood, health and a healthy environment. At least 10,000 farmers have reported food crops killed by fumigations and the UN Special Rapporteur on Health said there is "credible and trustworthy evidence" that fumigations are harmful to human health.

- The spraying damages precious ecosystems in the world's second most biodiverse country. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that fumigation causes farmers to move deeper into forests, and estimates that nearly 400,000 acres of virgin forests were razed by coca farmers seeking to escape the spraying. Meanwhile, scientific studies show that the chemicals used may harm sensitive species like amphibians.

- Since 2000, the United States has spent 6 billion dollars on the war on drugs in Colombia, with more than half a billion dollars spent on the aerial spraying. Much cheaper and more effective alternative development options exist.

Fumigation does not address the root causes of coca cultivation and use. It is futile and inhumane to try to stop the drug trade by destroying the livelihoods of poor farmers, rather than helping combat addiction. Lasting solutions can only be designed by helping those whose subsistence is tied to coca farming find alternatives.

While cutting financial support for the spraying program, the United States must still lead the transition away from illicit crop cultivation. We cannot simply turn responsibility for the spraying over to the Colombian government, but should help promote effective alternative economic development in Colombia while protecting and enhancing the environment on which impoverished communities depend. I respectfully ask that your Budget Request to Congress reflect these priorities.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 08, 2009