Modern Ag Alliance Welcomes Supreme Court Decision Protecting Farmers' Access to Trusted Crop Protection Tools

OMAHA, Neb. – The Modern Ag Alliance today welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, which affirms that the warnings a crop protection product’s label must carry are determined by EPA’s science-based review. The ruling preserves a consistent, nationwide labeling standard that farmers depend on every season.

“Today’s opinion provides important clarity for farmers and the entire agricultural industry, who rely on a predictable, science-based regulatory system to deliver the tools needed to feed, fuel, and clothe the country,” said Modern Ag Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson. “Farmers are already carrying enough uncertainty, from tight margins to rising costs, and they should not have to question whether the tools they rely on will remain available.”

In a 7–2 decision, the Court held that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) preempts state failure-to-warn claims that would require a label change that the EPA has not mandated.

“This is welcome news for farmers like me,” said Blake Hurst, a third-generation corn and soybean farmer and greenhouse grower from Westboro, Missouri, and former president of the Missouri Farm Bureau. “We rely on EPA-approved crop protection tools every season, and we need to know they’ll be there when we need them. Those federal labels, and the rigorous science behind them, are what we trust to farm safely and feed the country. Today’s decision protects our access to the tools that let us care for our soil, protect our crops, and keep food affordable for your family and mine.”

The Modern Ag Alliance will continue working to defend a uniform, science-based regulatory framework that gives farmers the certainty they need to feed and sustain the country.

The Modern Ag Alliance is a diverse coalition of more than 115 agricultural organizations 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.