Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee Stands With Farmers, Passes SB 527 to Defend Crop Protection Products
In a win for farmers across the state, the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Senate Bill 527, critical legislation that protects critical farming tools from being litigated away by a barrage of meritless lawsuits. This vote follows the Senate Agriculture Committee’s 7-2 approval earlier this month and the House Agriculture Committee’s 12-4 approval of companion legislation—House Bill 809—last week.
"Attacks by the litigation industry and California anti-ag activists are jeopardizing the availability of farmers' top weed fighting tools, which could cause food inflation to double," said Modern Ag Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth-Burns Thompson. "Farmers are grateful to Tennessee lawmakers for continuing to advance efforts to provide needed certainty to continue growing safe and affordable food."
SB 527 ensures consistency in product labeling standards by affirming that federally approved labels are the law. This legislation is supported by prominent Tennessee agricultural and producer organizations, including the Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee Soybean Association, the Southern Crop Production Association, and others. This issue has broad bipartisan support. The Modern Ag Alliance’s recent Ag Insights Survey found that 80% of Tennesseans, including 86% of Republicans and 74% of Democrats, are more likely to support elected officials who stand with farmers on this issue.
Crop protection tools help farmers control invasive weeds, keeping yields high and input costs low while allowing them to implement conservation practices, like no-till farming. In Tennessee, no-till farming is integral to the state's $5 billion agricultural economy; 80% of the state's row crops are planted using this method. These tools also help keep food prices down. If farmers lose access to glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide, for example, food inflation could double. The prospect of even higher food costs is weighing heavily on Tennesseans, with 74%—including 90% of farmers—reporting they are deeply concerned that litigation against crop protection manufacturers will lower crop yields and lead to higher food prices.
"Tennessee farmers thank Senator John Stevens for his commitment to agriculture and his leadership in championing this legislation," added Burns-Thompson. "We look forward to working with the full Senate to ensure lawmakers understand just how vital crop protection tools are to ensuring Tennesseans have a continued abundant and affordable food supply."
About The Modern Ag Alliance
The Modern Ag Alliance is a diverse coalition of agricultural stakeholders advocating for U.S. farmers’ access to the crop protection tools they need to ensure we have a robust and affordable domestic food supply. To learn more, visit modernagalliance.org.
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