Viewpoint: If activists and trial lawyers have their way, the herbicide glyphosate will be banned. What would that world look like?

Palmer Amaranth weeds growing between rows of corn. Courtesy: University of Tennessee 
Palmer Amaranth weeds growing between rows of corn. Courtesy: University of Tennessee 

As a reminder for the doomsayers, the Environmental Protection Agency classifies glyphosate as “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”

With that, let’s turn to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s August World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates report. The agency pegged this year’s corn production at 16.74 billion bushels. The estimate beats the previous record of 15.34 billion in 2023 by nearly 10%!

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What does any of that have to do with glyphosate? … Consider that just 20 years ago, the U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization estimated that about 12% of the global population (6.6 billion people) was suffering from hunger/malnutrition – the equivalent of about 800 million people. Now fast-forward to 2025: The world population has surged to 8.2 billion people (+25%). However, the number of hungry/malnourished people has declined; FAO pegs it at about 750 million people – or roughly 9% of the world’s population.

Agriculture’s productivity not only ensures we all get fed, but it has also allowed society the luxury to chase other pursuits. In the absence of more food, our collective world view would assuredly be different – and not for the better.

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