Ag Leaders Back Legislation to Safeguard Crop Protection Tools at Commodity Classic 2025

At Commodity Classic 2025, farmers and industry leaders convened for a panel titled, "Advocacy for Agriculture: Protecting Farmers' Access to Crop Protection Tools," hosted by the Modern Ag Alliance. With ongoing lawsuits and anti-ag activists attacking widely used, EPA-approved herbicides like glyphosate, the panelists discussed the growing threat to essential tools—and how state legislatures are stepping up to protect farmers’ access. 

The panel, moderated by the Executive Director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, featured:  Andrew Mauch, President of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association; Brian Willott, Board Member of the Missouri Corn Growers Association; and Morey Hill, Board Member of the American Soybean Association and former Board Member of the Iowa Soybean Association.

The panelists underscored the consequences of the relentless, often meritless, litigation and the urgent need for a legislative fix. Farmers rely on glyphosate to control weeds, maintain yields, and keep input costs low. Without this input, they are forced to turn to less effective, more expensive alternatives—making it harder and costlier to grow food. That cost doesn’t stop on the farm—it ripples through the entire food system, hitting consumers with even higher grocery bills. As Hill put it, "If we, down the road, lose some of this technology that helps us farm in a more efficient and prosperous way, everyone's food bill will be more expensive. We're going through this egg crisis now, imagine if flour or other daily necessities go the same route."

But rising food costs are just one part of what's at stake. If glyphosate can be targeted by the litigation industry despite decades of science proving its safety, then there is a serious broader risk to agriculture. Brian Willott warned of this, stating, "If [the litigation industry] can do this to glyphosate, they can do it to anything. Every single molecule, every single crop protection tool." 

To prevent such ripple effects, states like Missouri, Iowa, and North Dakota—among others—are advancing legislation to safeguard science-based regulations. The proposed solution reinforces that federal pesticide labels remain the law, ensuring companies cannot be sued for following EPA-approved product labels. For North Dakota, Mauch stressed the commonsense nature of the legislation, explaining, "[ND HB 1318] says the federally approved label is the law... it's a straightforward deal."

The Modern Ag Alliance continues to champion legislative solutions that provide stability for farmers and protect our food supply.

Join the fight to protect American agriculture. Contact your state lawmakers today: modernagalliance.org/action