For environmental advocates, the reaction to the Aug. 21 Argentine court ruling on agrochemical spraying was a mixture of satisfaction and disappointment. The satisfaction centered on its precedent-setting nature: it marked the first prosecution and conviction for pollution caused by agrochemical spraying. The disappointment stemmed from the sentence, which involved no jail time for the two men convicted—a soybean farmer and a crop-spraying pilot. The punishment instead was community service and a conditional three-year jail term that only would be imposed if the men commit another crime. A third man, a soy farmer, was cleared of charges. At issue was a ruling made by the provincial criminal court in Córdoba, 700 kilometers (430 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires. It is seen... [Log in to read more]