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Iowa, Nebraska attorneys general seek national standard for glyphosate labels

The attorneys general from Iowa and Nebraska are asking the U.S. EPA to create a new rule that prevents states from mandating false labels on glyphosate products.

Kevin Ross, past president of the National Corn Growers Association, says a national standard would help eliminate misleading labels that falsely claim glyphosate causes cancer.

“It’s really important when it comes to setting a stage for types of laws that are similar to this as well where you have California in particular that has tried several other preemptive laws and things that impact agriculture across other states.”

The attorneys general say the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act requires the Biden-Harris EPA to approve a pesticide’s label before distribution.

Ross tells Brownfield the EPA has already determined that glyphosate does not cause cancer. “It’s been tested many times,” he said. “It’s a very safe product. There’s other products out there that are weed killers, but as far as safety and usability, glyphosate is probably second to none of the products over the years that I’ve ever dealt with.”

Nine other states joined the petition, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, and South Dakota.