With financing provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), this project provides Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua with the opportunity to implement comprehensive management practices and specific measures to control the use and application of pesticides in the agricultural sector thereby reducing pesticides run-off to the Caribbean Sea.

The project is a cooperative effort of national, regional and local stakeholders.  As Secretariat to the Cartagena Convention, UNEP-CAR/RCU is responsible for overall carrying out of the project and co-ordination at the regional level.  At the national level, the executing agencies are the Ministries of Environment in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Colombia.  The main stakeholders for this project are the farmers, agrochemical distributors, health, agricultural and environmental ministries and agencies, environmental NGOs and other community-based organizations, relevant international organizations and academic institutions.

The project contains a significant number of activities. As approved by the GEF Council, the project contains six main elements that will be implemented through thre project components and various subcomponents. The six (6) elements are:

1.  Monitoring and Assessment of Impact

2. Technology Transfer and Alternatives

3.  Education and Training

4. Development of Incentives

5.  Institutiional Strengthening

6.  Information Management an Dissemination

The activities to be financed over a 4-year period will include the development of 12 pilot projects in  6 relevant crops as a basis for the validation of technologies, for the assessment of environmental and socio-economic impact of different practices and as a tool for capacity building in pesticides management and a train-the-trainer programme. The project will also establish a regional coastal monitoring programme and database. Special efforts will be made to foster policy and legislative reforms and recommend incentives to discourage the use of toxic pesticides. The pilot projects will have an integrated design, incorporating the six elements mentioned above.

Activities and Publications under the project

1st Steering Committee Meeting

Press Release (Spanish)