Glyphosate: A Safe, Essential Tool for American Farmers
For over two centuries, modern agriculture practices have shaped American farming and enhanced productivity and safety in food production. Before the introduction of glyphosate in 1974, farmers relied on labor-intensive tillage and less effective herbicides to control weeds. The arrival of glyphosate was a game-changer: it gave farmers a reliable, cost-effective tool to manage weeds, increase yields, and adopt conservation practices like no-till farming.
Today, glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide in the U.S., applied to roughly 87% of U.S. corn, soybean, and cotton acres and 98% of sugar beet acres. But despite its essential role in farming and American food security, this critical tool is under fire from trial lawyers and anti-ag activists who are pushing discredited science and baseless lawsuits. These meritless claims jeopardize farmers' access to glyphosate, something that would be felt at every dinner table in America.
Here are the facts: Glyphosate has been rigorously evaluated for human health risks and has demonstrated an exceptional safety record for over 50 years. Only pesticides meeting the most stringent safety standards are approved for use—something trial lawyers and anti-ag activists conveniently ignore. In fact, the approval process in the U.S. is one of the most rigorous in the world, averaging 12 years and involving hundreds of scientific experts at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other agencies.
Today there are over 1,500 studies and five decades of research supporting glyphosate's safety. Not a single health regulator worldwide—including in the U.S., Europe, Canada, or Australia—has classified it as carcinogenic. Notably, the 2018 National Cancer Institute-supported Agricultural Health Study—the largest epidemiological study of its kind—also found no association between glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer at any site in real-world use.
Moreover, federal law requires daily pesticide intake limits to be set 10 times lower than where they might ever be expected to pose human health risks. Over 99% of tested foods have pesticide residues well below these limits. To come close to these limits, a person would need to would need to consume in a single day, approximately:
- 9,000 + Girl Scout cookies
- 8,000 bottles of wine
- 1,000 loaves of bread
- 850 + apples
Yet the lawsuits keep coming. A lack of certainty regarding pesticide labeling rules has opened the door for profit-seeking trial lawyers to file baseless claims against manufacturers, alleging that product labels do not contain necessary health and safety warnings. Their efforts fail in court more often than they succeed; however, when the litigation industry prevents juries from hearing all of the relevant science and facts, awarded damages can reach into the billions of dollars. With each case a potential “nuclear verdict,” it’s no small wonder why trial lawyers have spent more than $100 million on ads recruiting plaintiffs, and investors from around the world have poured money into financing these lawsuits.
The stakes could not be higher. Without glyphosate, crop yields would decline, and farmers' input costs would surge by up to 150%, potentially forcing American family farms—already operating on thin margins—out of business. Such pressures could ripple through the food supply chain, elevating grocery store prices and exacerbating food insecurity. Recent research shows that food inflation could more than double if farmers lost access to glyphosate.
Fortunately, lawmakers are standing up for science and taking action to protect farmers' access to glyphosate. Their efforts are backed by strong public support: 93% of farmers and 63% of Americans agree that policies for crop protection tools should be science-based. States like Georgia and North Dakota have already passed legislation to that effect. Meanwhile, MAA continues to work alongside our partners to ensure lawmakers understand what’s at stake—and to advocate for farmers' access to these essential tools. This fight is far from over.
We can't allow a product that has been proven safe for decades to be litigated away based on discredited, unscientific attacks. Lawmakers must keep fighting to stand up to scare tactics and protect farmers' tools. America’s food supply and security depend on it.
Elizabeth Burns-Thompson serves as the Executive Director of the Modern Ag Alliance, where she leads the Alliance’s efforts to advocate for U.S. farmers’ continued access to essential crop protection tools.