By: Laurie Fischer, CEO, The American Dairy Coalition
It isn’t often that US farmers and dairy producers’ side
with the EPA. However, in the case of a growing number of suits targeted at
farming practices, and one ingredient in particular, US farmers and dairy
producers are supporting the EPA and its science-based approval system as it
links to glyphosate. Glyphosate, or what many commonly refer to as RoundUp as
it is the main active ingredient in the product, is under fire in California
where cases are underway claiming a cause and effect of the weedkiller and
cancer.
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in U.S.
agriculture, and as Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue stated, “If we are
going to feed 10 billion people by 2050, we are going to need all the tools at
our disposal, which includes the use the glyphosate”. US farmers and ranchers
utilize weed killer to maximize the output on their farms and maintain healthy
crops and forage, for both consumers and their herds. Glyphosate has been used
for years across the country and users must follow strict guidelines and
application practices. New guidelines are even now being integrated as the
industry looks to decrease any “drift” from the product and its potential
effect on pollinators.
This past April, the EPA reaffirmed its previous findings
that glyphosate is not a cancer risk to users, nor is it a risk to children or
expectant mothers. The EPA has repeated its claims that products such as
RoundUp are safe for use on backyards and areas where children play.
It’s no surprise though that organizations like the
Environmental Working Group (EWG) have come out against the EPA’s findings and
are in support of the erroneous claims against the product. EWG and trial
lawyers across the country are now turning their backs on science and turning
the issue into a fiscal opportunity at farmers’ expense, lining their own
pocketbooks with frivolous litigation.
The cases filed in California state a direct link between
the use of glyphosate-based products and cancer. Disregarding all available
science, one case was initially ruled in favor of the plaintiff and millions of
dollars were to be awarded to a groundskeeper who blamed the regular use of
RoundUp on his cancer. Following the initial ruling, such activist groups as
EWG jumped at the opportunity to skew public perception and promote
anti-science based claims against the product and US agriculture.
This issue is yet another example of trial lawyers using US
agriculture as an easy target for frivolous lawsuits. Farmers and ranchers rely
on science-based information and research to ensure they are utilizing best
practices, and to safeguard against erroneous claims like those noted above. We
must support the continued use and reliance on best-science to guide our
management practices, and to protect our industry against those seeking an
“easy win”. In this case, US farmers and dairy producers support the EPA and
its reaffirmation of the safety of glyphosate.