Gustavo Aristizabal wants more support for alternative pesticides

Gustavo Aristizabal is well informed about the use of pesticides and associated risks. In his daily life, he works on a palm oil plantation where he harvests the fruit from tall trees.

He said he had a fascinating week in the Netherlands in September. Laughing, he added: "But I didn't know that the FNV was such an important federation. I always thought it was just a small trade union like ours. Now I have seen just how solid the foundation of the FNV is."

In September, Mondiaal FNV organized a number of meetings and activities for various international guests. A recurring topic was the use of pesticides in agriculture worldwide and the consequences of this for workers and the climate. Aristizabal was interested to meet employees of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). "The people we spoke to were disposed to think about the use of chemicals with us. We told them about the general problems pesticides cause for workers. Some officials seemed genuinely interested. Two people came up to me after the meeting to hear more about the palm oil sector in Colombia."

Aristizabal believes that legislation is properly implemented in the Netherlands, such as the ban on certain chemicals. "But it would be nice if there was more support for alternative pesticides in my country. I told the officials who approached me afterwards that the Netherlands imports a lot of palm oil and is therefore in a position to enforce the use of alternative pesticides. They were interested in this. One of them wants to organize a meeting in Colombia with the Dutch embassy."

Expanding the international network

Aristizabal sees this outcome as a result of international solidarity. "There are many problems in the world: wars, climate change, poor wages, harsh working conditions and gender issues. I think international solidarity is the only solution to these problems."

He called the FNV's international solidarity festival on 20 September "an interesting event" and thought it might become a tradition, held in a different country each year. But it could also take on a different form, he said. "The International Palm Oil Workers United (IPOWU) network, of which we are a member, is very valuable for the development of palm oil. It means we are represented in discussions with various governments. This could also work for other sectors, and I can imagine IPOWU being expanded to include the fruit, vegetable and seed sectors. After all, we have the same problems."

Wage increase

Aristizabal was especially inspired by the field visit to Vitalis. "I saw that there are many opportunities to reduce pesticide use and to deploy plants to distract harmful insects. On palm oil plantations, we have a lot of trouble with ants. At Vitalis, I heard that they use a lot of sugar water to distract the ants. I'm taking that one back to Colombia with me." He added, laughing: "Maybe I’ll get a Nobel Prize for that, or at least a pay rise."

Interview: Astrid van Unen