Women defending life and natural resources: Cases in Central America

The document details how transnational corporations and agribusinesses in Central America disproportionately affect women through the looting of natural resources and environmental degradation. In El Salvador, Coca Cola's water extraction in Nejapa has depleted aquifers and polluted water sources, increasing the domestic burden on women. In Honduras, hydroelectric dams in La Paz have caused water scarcity and led to the murder of environmental activists, including Berta Cáceres. In Costa Rica, pineapple monocultures have contaminated water with agrotoxics, impacting women's health and care work. In Guatemala, sugarcane plantations on the Southern Coast have caused land grabbing, water shortages, and health issues due to aerial spraying and burning. Across all cases, women have emerged as key leaders in community resistance, organizing to defend their rights to water, land, and a healthy environment.

• In El Salvador's Nejapa municipality, the Coca Cola bottling plant (Industrias La Constancia / Sab Miller) is accused of extracting water at rates that exceed the aquifer's recharge capacity. A technical study by hydrologist Julio Quiñonez found the company was using 34.67 million cubic meters per year, which is 191.54% of the annual recharge, suggesting the aquifer could be exhausted in 25-27 years considering climate change.
• Water scarcity and pollution in Nejapa specifically burden women, who are primarily responsible for domestic chores. The lack of piped water forces women to spend more time fetching water, limiting their opportunities for education and rest, and increasing their physical workload.
• In Honduras, the extractivist model has led to widespread territorial looting through mining and hydroelectric projects. Since 2009, 123 activists have been murdered for protecting their lands. Indigenous and Garifuna women are particularly affected as they are historically responsible for social reproduction and water supply for their families.
• Hydroelectric projects in Honduras' La Paz department have caused severe water pollution and health issues. Community members report that children under five suffer from diarrhea and fever because they are forced to drink polluted river water containing feces and waste.
• In Costa Rica, the expansion of pineapple monocultures (specifically Gold pineapple or MD2) has led to significant water contamination from agrotoxics like Bromacil. In 2017, over 5,000 people in the Veracruz community of San Carlos de Alajuela were affected by Bromacil pollution in their water source.
• Gender disparities in Costa Rican agriculture are stark; women own only 4.4% of the total acreage of all farms and possess 8.1% of the country's arable land. Furthermore, only 2.7% of farms run by women receive technical assistance from State or private institutions, compared to 17.1% for those run by men.
• In Guatemala's Southern Coast, sugarcane monocultures have expanded to approximately 283,898.85 hectares. This industry relies on land grabbing and the excessive use of water, which dries up artisanal wells used by peasant communities.
• Women in Guatemala's Champerico communities suffer health and economic losses due to sugarcane production. Aerial sprayings of agrochemicals between 6 and 9 am cause crops in home gardens to ripen prematurely and fall, leading to significant financial losses, such as one family reporting losses of US$ 3,750.00 in one year.
• The burning of sugarcane in Guatemala creates smoke and ashes that pollute the air and cause skin rashes in women, who are more exposed to open spaces during morning activities like grinding nixtamal or taking children to school.

APA

Muñoz, M., Cipriano, A. M., Raymundo, E. R., Espinoza, A., Baca, J., & Silva, M. (2018). Women defending life and natural resources: Cases in Central America. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ATALC-Women-defending-life-and-natural-resources-Cases-in-Central-America.pdf

Chicago

Muñoz, Marta, Awex Mejia Cipriano, Elias Raymundo Raymundo, Azalia Espinoza, Jazziel Baca, and Martha Silva. Women defending life and natural resources: Cases in Central America. Friends of the Earth International, 2018. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ATALC-Women-defending-life-and-natural-resources-Cases-in-Central-America.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Muñoz |first1=Marta |last2=Cipriano |first2=Awex Mejia |last3=Raymundo |first3=Elias Raymundo |last4=Espinoza |first4=Azalia |last5=Baca |first5=Jazziel |last6=Silva |first6=Martha |title=Women defending life and natural resources: Cases in Central America |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=March 2018 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ATALC-Women-defending-life-and-natural-resources-Cases-in-Central-America.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{muoz2018women, author = {Muñoz, Marta and Cipriano, Awex Mejia and Raymundo, Elias Raymundo and Espinoza, Azalia and Baca, Jazziel and Silva, Martha}, title = {{Women defending life and natural resources: Cases in Central America}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ATALC-Women-defending-life-and-natural-resources-Cases-in-Central-America.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }