It's not windy

Martinique: organic in the tropics

Audio 48:30

In Lorrain, the only organic banana plantation in Martinique.

© RFI/Igor Strauss

By: Anne-Cécile Bras Follow

1 min

Lush and abundant vegetation, a tropical climate, the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea to the West and the coral reef of the Atlantic Ocean to the East, welcome to Martinique, the small island of the poet Aimé Césaire, a miniature paradise, close to South America.

Bananas, cocoa, coffee, sugar cane, everything grows here, even weeds.

So for many years, man wanted to fight against the abundance of this vegetation, against humidity, in short against nature.

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The use of pesticides has become the norm for the better, sometimes, but especially for the worse with the scandal of chlordecone, a toxic and persistent insecticide used massively in banana plantations for more than 20 years.

Banned in 1990, its consequences are terrible, for some Martiniquais suffering from serious illnesses and for the soils polluted for decades.

But, in recent years, some producers have chosen to embark on organic farming.

And contrary to what everyone thought, it works.

A report by Igor Strauss, directed by François Porcheron.

(Replay)

With the support of the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of its author and the Commission is not responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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