LANSING, Mich. (March 15, 2023) – Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB), Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA), and more than 400 other organizations support the current pesticide regulatory system in place under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). A letter sent to Congressional members responds to recently introduced legislation (S. 269) undermining the science-based standards contained within the nation’s pesticide law. This is the third time these organizations have reached out to Congress to voice concern over similar proposed legislation. “Michigan Farm Bureau is proud to stand with other key agriculture and business groups in opposition to S. 269,” said John Kran, MFB national legislative counsel. “This legislation neglects science and innovation and would take American agriculture in the wrong direction and hurt farming families and the people they feed.” The proposed legislation would jeopardize the continued availability and innovation of pesticide products by imposing an unscientific and unbalanced process, say ag groups. That move could remove pest control options from those who need them to safely grow crops, adopt conservation practices such as conservation tillage and resource-saving crop rotations, protect homes and infrastructure, control pathogens and disease vectors, and maintain green spaces — such as parks and golf courses. “Agricultural chemistry products are subject to rigorous scientific testing and review by career scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and our Michigan agriculture industry supports this important federal regulatory system,” said Chuck Lippstreu, president of MABA. “We oppose efforts to undermine the robust federal oversight of pesticide products or open the door to a confusing patchwork of local regulations developed without scientific expertise.” FIFRA has been amended by Congress several times to strengthen the regulatory standard for safety — most recently through the Food Quality Protection Act that added specific protections for infants and children. Under the provisions of the current law, pesticides that are approved for use are subject to continuous review whenever new scientific data becomes available. Officially, federal regulators must review each pesticide approved for use in the U.S. every 15 years, but ag groups say the reality is that the pace of scientific development means regulators are making formal assessments more frequently as more data becomes available.
