Environment

City in Brazil’s south to become “Pesticide Free Zone”

pesticide use brazil

The southern city of Florianópolis will be the first Brazilian city to ban pesticides within its municipal limits. A law approved by the city council and sanctioned by mayor Gean Loureiro last week makes it a crime to store or apply any type of pesticide on the Isle of Santa Catarina, which corresponds to the vast majority of the city’s territory.

Such a ban has never been seen before in Brazil. After over a year of moving through the lawmaking process, councilors approved the bill unanimously. The hope among politicians and specialists consulted by Agência Pública and Repórter Brasil is that the bill will set a path toward the creation of other pesticide-free zones

The law was authored by left-wing City Councilor Marcos José de Abreu, better known as “Marquito.” The councilor with the second-highest number of votes in 2016, he was elected on an agroecology platform. In a council of 22 members, he is one of only four who sits on the opposition to Mayor Gean Loureiro. In order to gather unanimous approval of the bill, he says he spoke with all of his colleagues, both from the mayoral base and the opposition.

“During the process, we visited every councilor … we sat down, showed data of analysis of residues in food and water, presenting studies correlating the use of some pesticides and the increase of various types of cancer. Our main base was believing that dialogue was possible,” he explained.

According to Councilor Jeferson Backer, head of the Florianópolis environment committee, the approval of this free zone is the first step toward future generations starting to think about food quality. “We are a country which consumes 20 percent of the world’s total pesticides and agricultural inputs—some of these products which are forbidden in many European countries. This initiative tends to put the brakes on this extremely exaggerated and out of control consumption, which is responsible for thousands of deaths each year,” says the politician.

Mr. Backer says the bill is clear in relation to its objectives. “It is of utmost importance to the appreciation of the environment, food security, and life … A great victory...

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