MAA Executive Director Highlights Need for Farmer Certainty on Ag News Daily

Modern Ag Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson recently joined Ag News Daily to discuss recent developments around pesticide labeling, the recently passed Farm Bill, state legislative efforts, and the broader pressures facing farmers.

At the center of the conversation was a clear message: farmers need certainty. Whether the path forward comes through Congress, state legislatures, or the courts, farmers must be able to rely on clear, consistent, science-based rules that protect access to the tools they use safely every day.

“We had some really good conversation with folks. What unfortunately we saw transpire is a wealth of misinformation around pesticides, what governs them and their use, really take down unfortunately very good policy. It is more important now than ever that we are telling our story about what tools we use, how we use them safely, and why they are so incredibly important, not just to the successful operation of America’s farms, but what that means then for consumers in the supply chain.” — Elizabeth Burns-Thompson

Burns-Thompson also highlighted the continued need for legislative solutions at both the state and federal levels. North Dakota, Georgia, and Kentucky have already passed labeling uniformity policies, creating important momentum for other states to follow.

While the issue is often discussed in the context of individual products, Burns-Thompson emphasized that the need for clarity extends industry wide.

The interview also touched on MAA’s State of the American Farmer report, which examines both the economic and emotional pressures facing farmers and rural communities. Burns-Thompson said the goal was to connect the data with the real-world experiences of producers.

That pressure is also shaping how farmers view the future of their profession. Burns-Thompson noted that one of the most jarring findings is that some farmers are questioning whether they would recommend agriculture to the next generation.

“To think that there are those involved in agriculture that think that it’s not a profession that they would recommend to the next generation, to me, is just as jarring of a statistic as any type of economic data point that we can put forward. That should be something that lawmakers are taking to heart.” — Elizabeth Burns-Thompson

Above all, Burns-Thompson emphasized the importance of making sure farmers are heard in the policy debates that affect their operations, livelihoods, and communities.

“If we get to a point where we are legislating based on tweets and likes and social impressions, that becomes a very slippery slope for those folks that spend their morning, noon, and night in a tractor cab or tending to animals. We’ve got to be able to find a way for farmers to be heard, to feel heard, and to make that impact.” — Elizabeth Burns-Thompson

Listen to the full interview on Ag News Daily.