Central America serves as a bridge for the shipment of drugs from the producing countries of South America to the consumer markets of the United States and Europe.
Plantations and packers of products such as pineapple and cassava operate in the Northern Zone, regularly employing undocumented migrants from neighboring Nicaragua.
Nearly 65% of fruits and vegetables produced in Costa Rica contain residual traces of agrochemicals, a study from the Pesticide Department of the State Phytosanitary System found.
The Plant Health Department (SFE) of Costa Rica knew the levels of bromacil in the water of Río Cuarto (canton of Alajuela) since 2015. Despite having the information, the data wasn't shared with other authorities until 2016 and wasn't known publicly until 2018.
