Martinique: Colonial Legacies and Environmental Justice

The Chlordecone Catastrophe's Ongoing Impact

Martinique lives with chlordecone's poisonous legacy decades after banana plantations stopped using the pesticide. Over 90% of the population carries the chemical in their blood. Soil contamination makes local food production dangerous. Coastal fishing bans destroy livelihoods. This environmental racism exemplifies colonial treatment of overseas territories.

"They knew it was toxic but kept poisoning us for banana profits," states Emmanuel Jos, law professor and activist. "This is slow genocide. France must acknowledge responsibility and pay reparations, not just technical studies that tell us what we already know—our land is poisoned."

Community responses include developing alternative agriculture on uncontaminated soils, creating solidarity networks for safe food access, and demanding comprehensive health monitoring. Young activists connect chlordecone to broader decolonial struggles, seeing environmental sovereignty as inseparable from political autonomy.

Tourism, Development, and Resistance

Mass tourism transforms Martinique's coast while interior communities lack basic services. Luxury resorts consume scarce water while residents face restrictions. Cruise ships dump waste in pristine bays. This tourism model, imposed from Paris, generates resentment and resistance.

Alternative tourism initiatives center local communities and environmental protection. Eco-lodges employ residents and support conservation. Cultural tourism celebrates Afro-Caribbean heritage rather than generic tropical paradise imagery. These alternatives remain marginal but demonstrate possibilities beyond extractive tourism.