The American Soybean Association (ASA) submitted comments this week in response to the May announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that the agency would prepare additional Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for soybeans and corn resistant to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and soybeans and cotton resistant to dicamba. ASA opposes the decision and argues that the studies would place an additional and unnecessary barrier between farmers and the tools they need to remain sustainable and competitive while feeding a growing global population.

“ASA strongly supports biotechnology and believes the development of biotechnology-enhanced soybean varieties and products can benefit farmers, consumers, and the environment,” wrote ASA in its comments. “[S]oybean growers strongly support the development of new varieties that allow them to farm more sustainably and profitably. Biotechnology has allowed plant breeders to develop soybeans that are tolerant to herbicides, thus allowing soybean farmers to better control weeds and implement no-till and conservation tillage practices that save fuel, reduce erosion, and protect the environment. Biotechnology also has allowed plant breeders to increase the yield potential of soybeans, benefiting both producers and consumers. Biotech soybeans have been grown safely since 1996, and in the 2012 crop year, approximately 94 percent of the soybeans planted in the United States were biotechnology-derived.”