Trade Associations Make Strong Case for Glyphosate During Coronavirus Shutdown
May 20, 2020 With all the news surrounding the coronavirus pandemic dominating most news cycles, you might be wondering what’s happening regarding the general public’s previous favorite topic of conversation, glyphosate. As most of the activity regarding the popular herbicide were taking place in the country’s courts – and most of these have suspended operations during the COVID-19 outbreak – there hasn’t been much recent news to share.
However, there was bit of information that did break during the middle of the coronavirus shutdown worth mentioning. Back in mid-April, several trade associations banded together to support glyphosate in the lawsuit Rural Coalition et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency et al., which challenged EPA’s Interim Registration Review Decision on the herbicide from January. This included the National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council of America, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, National Sorghum Producers, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Association of Landscape Professionals, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), and the American Soybean Association (ASA).
Loading ...“Glyphosate is an important tool in helping farmers produce more food in a sustainable manner,” said Caleb Ragland, chair of ASA’s Regulatory Committee and Kentucky soy grower, in a statement. “ASA support EPA’s interim registration decision, which clearly defends the safety of glyphosate when used according to the label.”
ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock released a similar statement in support of glyphosate. “ARA will continue to defend glyphosate in order to ensure the product’s availability in the future,” said Coppock. “We have long supported decisions based on sound science, and that has been the case with glyphosate. This is one of the safest, most versatile, and widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States and access to it continues to be vital to American agriculture.”
In supporting EPA’s decision, the coalition’s motion made two main points. Firstly, that the EPA’s assessment of glyphosate is scientifically sound. “EPA’s science-based, in-depth assessment by its expert team reflects a gold standard for scientific rigor that is respected by regulators and scientists across the globe. Further, the EPA’s conclusions are supported by a body of science spanning over 40 years that has consistently confirmed that glyphosate-based products can be used safely as directed and that glyphosate is not carcinogenic.”
And finally, glyphosate is very important to agriculture and the interests of the parties to this motion. “Glyphosate-based products are among the most thoroughly studied herbicides in the world. Its safety and efficacy have made glyphosate the most widely used herbicide by growers and other professionals worldwide, who rely on it not only for effective weed control, but also to minimize tillage farming practices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve more land for native habitats.”
Subscribe Today For
