Legislation could prevent big crop loss

With rising prices and global instability, our country’s food security has never been more important. The recent passage of HB 2763 in the Missouri House is a significant milestone in protecting access to American-made glyphosate, an essential product used to control harmful weeds on farms, which is critical to maintaining strong crop yields and ultimately keeping prices low for families around the world.

This legislation would cut confusing red tape by clarifying federal labeling requirements are sufficient to satisfy health and safety warnings. The absence of legislation could undermine producers’ ability to continue making this product domestically leading to supply chain disruptions and additional costs for family farmers across the country.

Modern advancements in pesticides like glyphosate are one of the major achievements that have allowed farmers to continue operating efficiently in an increasingly complex global agricultural sector. Without these tools, we face stark realities — up to 85% of crops could be lost annually to pests and diseases, and crop losses could skyrocket to 50-90%, significantly impacting our food supply. The repercussions could be dire. Increased input costs without pesticides would lead to a rise in consumer prices between 35%-45%, placing nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables out of reach for consumers already struggling with inflation.

HB 2763 can bolster the technological innovation and progress that makes our crops more resilient to future challenges in weather and other stress factors. Our farming community has a big job to do. We urge Missouri’s state legislators to support this legislation.

RAY McCARTY, president, Associated Industries of Missouri, Jefferson City, Missouri