Viewpoint: Is the Republican-backed farm bill an agriculture industry giveaway?

The newly proposed, Republican-led farm bill includes a range of provisions opponents say constitute a “pesticide industry wishlist” that would kill protections for humans, the environment, wildlife and endangered species, while also shielding industry from legal liability.

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On the legal side, the legislation would give chemical manufacturers immunity from state-level lawsuits claiming they failed to warn people about their products’ health risks, especially cancer.

The EPA does not require the cancer warning on labels as some states do, because it has found that some pesticide ingredients, like glyphosate, do not cause cancer. Advocates say the EPA uses a flawed assessment that was subjected to industry influence, and they view state laws as the best line of defense against the substances’ dangers.

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Industry has also claimed ingredients like glyphosate will no longer be available if the immunity provision is not passed. That has raised fear among farmers that they won’t be able to access the products, which is creating political pressure, advocates say.

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