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activities funded by ROCAP after termination of the ongoing PROEXAG Project.
The Issues. Three potentially significant adverse environmental impacts were
identified during EXITOS project development which may indirectly result from
provision of TA to promote NTA and NTI exports. These three issues, refined
during preparation of and addressed in this Environmental Assessment (EA),
are: (1) the effects of the Project on pesticide use; (2) the effects of the
Project on conflicting natural resource demands; and (3) the effect of the
Project on industrial pollution and waste disposal problems.
Environmental Consequences of the Proposed Action. EXITOS will have no direct
impact on the environment, and as a project promoting improved NTA and NtI
operations it should result in few significant adverse indirect environmental
impacts.
Pesticides. Except for limited research and field evaluation purposes by
or under the supervision of Project personnel, EXITOS will neither procure nor
use pesticides, and no direct adverse pesticide impacts will therefore result
from Project implementation. NTAE crop production still relies on pesticide
use for control of diseases and pests in Central America, amounting to about
300,000 to 500,000 kilograms rer year. Promotion of NTAE crop production will
most likely indirectly affect the overall levels of pesticide use on a
site-specific basis--increasing or decreasing use volumes depending upon
circumstances. EXITOS will not directly advise farmers on pesticide
applications, but will refer pesticide-related technical demands to existing
expert organizations, private consulting firms and/or governmental
agricultural services. It will thereby--as with PROEXAG--continue to
significantly improve awareness of regulations and restrictions governing
pesticide use and the financial and environmental impacts resulting from
misuse of agrochemicals. The Project is therefore expected to have a
significant beneficial impact on pesticide management and use compared to
pesticide management practice3 under the no action scenario.
Natural Resource Use Conflicts. EXITOS will not directly affect the rate
or extent of land conversion to NTA crop production. The Project could
indirectly contribute to such conversion to the extent that the Technical
Assistance provided for under the Project contributes to the expansion of
production areas of the existing export-related operations targetted by the
Project. Some conversion may also occur indirectly by non-target producers
outside the control of EXITOS who try to emulate EXITOS growers. Most land
converted by such produce,*s to NTA crops is agricultural land under
traditional crop production. The net indirect impact of the Project on land
conversion is unknown at this time.
Pollution and Waste Disposal. EZITOS will neither directly cause nor
directly exacerbate industrial pollution/waste disposal problems. The target
operations to be supported are primarily existing operations. Indirectly the
Project could contribute to such problems to the extent that TA results in an
expansion of activities that cause pollution.