Ag Leaders Warn of Growing Uncertainty in Pesticide Regulation at 2025 AFBF Convention

Agriculture leaders at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Convention sounded the alarm on the growing challenges threatening farmers' access to essential crop protection tools. With ongoing conflicting state and federal pesticide labeling regulations and scientifically unsound litigation, the stakes are high for America's growers.  

Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Executive Director of the Modern Ag Alliance, moderated the panel, which featured Kevin Hensley, Director of Public Policy at the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation; Neil Rockstad, President of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association; and Martha Smith, Vice President of Stakeholder Relations at Bayer.  

With crop protection tools like glyphosate, farmers can manage weeds efficiently, allowing them to produce high yields at low input costs and ultimately help keep the price tag for groceries from climbing even higher. Hensley highlighted this reality, explaining that glyphosate is indispensable in maintaining viable farm operations. In his home state of Tennessee, he noted that 80% of row crops use no-till farming practices, and that's because of glyphosate. Losing access to it, he warned, would be a major setback for farmers and consumers. 

Building on the economic impact point to consumers, Smith added, “We all see the prices of food right now and what’s happening with inflation. If we were to lose products such as glyphosate or other crop protection tools, we would only see increased prices.”  

With so much at stake, panelists stressed the importance of a unified voice across agriculture to ensure policymakers understand the real-world impact of regulatory uncertainty. Rockstad emphasized that educating on this issue is key—especially today, as lawmakers are less connected to agriculture than ever before. “Nobody knows what happens, boots on the ground, like we do as ag producers,” he noted. “Nobody knows how much these regulations affect us except us as farmers.” 

As the discussion concluded, Hensley reminded the audience of the lengthy and thorough regulatory approval process for crop protection tools, also warning that without defending already proven tools like glyphosate, farmers could face years of uncertainty. “It takes decades to get new chemistries across the finish line. So we have to protect the ones we know are safe, like glyphosate,” he said. 

Join the Modern Ag Alliance in advocating for legislation solutions that provide long-term certainty for farmers and maintain the strength of America's agriculture. To take action, you can send a letter to your local legislators here.