CND 2025 — 68th Session

Moderator

Welcome to our side event on the crucial intersection of drug policy reform and environmental sustainability. Today's discussion explores how reforming drug policies can create more environmentally sustainable approaches. We are delighted to welcome our distinguished speakers: Dr. Camilo Eduardo Umaña, Iyari Balderas, and Dr. Gregory Hooks. Each expert will present for 7 minutes, followed by an interactive discussion.

Dr. Gregory Hooks (Professor of Sociology, McMaster University)

Good afternoon, everyone. It's an honor to be here today to speak about the profound impacts that militarized policies have had on Colombia — particularly in relation to Indigenous communities and the environment.

In my work, I've advanced the 'treadmill of destruction' framework to help us understand the relentless dynamics of war and arms races that create a cycle of environmental degradation. What we see in Colombia is a clear example of this destructive cycle — where militarization, fueled by conflict, war, and the fight against illicit drugs, is taking a massive toll on both the land and the people.

Indigenous communities in Colombia have been at the forefront of this devastation. The war on drugs has led to the aerial fumigation of coca plants, a practice that not only harms the coca crops but poisons water supplies, contaminates the soil, and damages the surrounding forests. These toxic chemicals are a direct threat to the very ecosystems that the Indigenous people depend on.

The battle for territory is also deeply tied to environmental degradation. As the military and various armed factions fight for control, they're taking over lands that Indigenous people have lived on for generations. This loss of land isn't just a loss of home; it's a loss of their cultural connection to the land, their ability to practice sustainable agriculture, and their capacity to protect biodiversity.

True peace in Colombia cannot come through military might alone. Peace must be built on a foundation of environmental restoration, respect for Indigenous sovereignty, and a genuine commitment to healing both the land and the people. Any path forward must integrate ecological restoration alongside peacebuilding efforts.

The international community must rethink its support for policies that continue to fuel violence and environmental destruction. The militarization of drug control has proven disastrous not just for the people of Colombia, but for the natural world that sustains us all. Peace isn't just the absence of conflict; it's the restoration of balance between human societies and the environment.

Iyari Balderas (Indigenous Mexican Youth Activist)

I speak for drug legalization, addressing the climate crisis between organized crime and its impact on the environment and indigenous people. The first role I have is as an indigenous person. My dad, my mom is from Mexico, so it's important for me.

Organized crime has been founded in rural areas where deforestation and population go hand in hand with the production of substances. Indigenous people have been victims of territorial dispossession, violence, and the destruction of ecosystems. According to the UNODC World Drug Report, the production of synthetic drugs generates toxic waste and has already impacted the environmental crisis.

The impact of drug trafficking on the environment in Mexico: first, deforestation. Drug cultivation and the construction of clandestine airstrips destroy forests and jungles in Central America. Second, criminalization and militarization — in many areas of Mexico, the government's response has involved the militarization of territories, which has increased violence and displacement. Militarization has not reduced drug traffic but has increased social and environmental conflicts.

In territories I work in — Chiapas, Morelia, San Francisco — there's a relationship with mining, social environment conflict, and over-extraction. In 2023, organized crime entered Chiapas, making it more difficult for people in the ejidos and farms. We needed to stop projects. The traffic of drugs and people incremented this year.

We observe that militarization here in Mexico is not a solution; it's the contrary. Violence and drug traffic have increased. The first step to reduce crime is the regulation of drugs. A systemic perspective is necessary.

Moderator

Dr. Gregory, one of the things you said was that for environmental activists, Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries. How do you see reforms when it comes to making it safer for environmental activists?

Dr. Gregory Hooks

I don't think there's one masterstroke to solve this problem. One of the consequences of the ceasefire — when FARC laid down its arms — a vacuum was created that was filled by criminal networks and paramilitaries that have not been effectively disarmed. That's where environmental activists are being harmed.

I would look to the indigenous people who are speaking out as to what they would think would be a solution in their given region. The larger context has to do with the remnants of armed forces that continue to operate and were not effectively disarmed by the ceasefire of 2016.

When you militarize, citizens of a country become subjects to a military power as opposed to citizens capable of exercising voice. The approach undertaken for half a century has been to just militarize the central government and allies. That cycle of violence has not produced solutions, and it has caused identifiable damage.

Dr. Camilo Eduardo Umaña (Legal Expert, Colombia)

One of the main effects we perceive from Colombia was the impact on the environment from eradication policies targeting crops from the 1970s onward, ending with Santos' administration that stopped the use of glyphosate for aerial eradication due to a constitutional court ruling. However, we remain with land eradication using Roundup, which remains one of the biggest concerns.

The balloon effect has caused a big burden on the environment. Drug policies that address production as something geographically located create a value effect easily assimilated by criminal groups, contributing to deforestation. If you take the maps of Colombia and position deforestation indicators with presence of crops, it is coincidental but not exact — criminal organizations have adapted through a multi-crime scenario.

The new Colombian policy "Protecting Life and Moving Away from Narco-trafficking" recognizes the importance of a drug policy concerned with the wider protection of life, including the environment, nature, and the ways of life of communities across the country.

As an international phenomenon, the drug market should be addressed by an international policy concerned with impacts on the environment. Latin America, protecting one of the most diverse environments in the world — with countries like Brazil and Colombia among the top biodiversity countries — needs to take steps in creating shared policy. Criminal organizations do not recognize borders as much as governments, so governments should take further steps of integration.

Moderator (Closing)

Thank you to all our panelists. The key takeaway is that drug policy reform and environmental protection are not separate issues; they must be addressed together. The path forward is urgent, but the potential for meaningful change is within reach.