Crop Protection

ASA supports maintaining science, risk-based regulatory processes for pesticides and environmental issues by EPA. Pesticides are important for protecting farmers’ operations from billions of dollars in damages annually from weeds, insects, and other pests. Pesticides also help to enable important conservation practices, such as no-till and cover crops. However, it is essential this review process is based on the best available science to ensure these tools are safe for humans and the environment.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) together provide a robust, thorough framework to review pesticides and ensure their use is safe for human health and the environment. I ASA also supports EPA ensuring pesticide registrations are compliant with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). ESA assessments should be conducted using the best available scientific and commercial data, as required by the law, and that any resulting mitigations needed to protect species and their habitats are flexible and workable for agriculture.

It is also important that EPA can maintain a skilled, expert workforce who can review the science and make informed decisions on the best use of these products. ASA rejects any attempts to undermine this critical legal and regulatory framework, the sound-science on which it is based, or the ability for EPA to maintain the necessary skilled workforce to conduct this vital work.