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Glyphosate review continues as EPA and HHS expand agency collaboration

Ag groups are closely watching how the U.S. EPA and the Department of Health and Human Services’ glyphosate review could impact product availability for farmers.  

Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, executive director of the Modern Ag Alliance, says the pesticide is currently undergoing a mandatory 15-year labeling evaluation.

“They go back in to re-review the science and re-review the application,” she says. “There is an incredible amount of rigor that goes into product registrations.”

The two agencies recently signed a memorandum of understanding to share data, coordinate research, and identify knowledge gaps related to glyphosate safety. 

She tells Brownfield the process could result in updates for how the product is used in the field.

“Part of that re-registration could potentially be changes to when it can be used, the type of PPE that farmers or applicators may need to use, and adjustments to the trainings to make sure that applicators know of any potential hazards,” she says.

Burns-Thompson says the organization’s focus remains on the regulatory process.

“Our biggest concern at this point is having a product-based conversation as opposed to a process-based conversation,” she says. “Singling out individual products or individual companies and applying a different level of rigor or due diligence to one versus the other.”

As part of the collaboration, EPA and HHS plan to establish a working group to re-evaluate the pesticide.

The mandatory review is scheduled to be completed by early 2027.

AUDIO: Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Modern Ag Alliance