Adam Basford: Protecting American agriculture means protecting the tools that keep it running

Since the 1940s, American farming productivity has nearly tripled, due largely to technological innovations and modern crop protection tools.

Products like herbicides and pesticides have made American agriculture more efficient. They allow U.S. farmers to meet the growing demand for food at home and worldwide while preserving the natural ecosystem in major agricultural states like Florida.

Sadly, this progress is now under threat.

Along with volatile market conditions and erratic weather, Florida’s farmers now face growing legal assaults brought on by activist lawyers that could make it more challenging to access essential American-made crop protection tools. Rather than relying on sound science, out-of-state trial lawyers are driving a multi-million-dollar campaign of misinformation and political pressure based on flawed reports by a subagency of the World Health Organization.

These frivolous lawsuits cost American manufacturers billions of dollars in settlements and could ultimately drive production out of business soon.

Florida’s Legislature is currently considering HB 129/SB 992, which closes a confusing loophole in state law fueling these lawsuits, and it is important that it passes this Session.

Florida produces over 300 commodities that face constant impacts from invasive pests and aggressive weeds. As a top five producer of crops from peanuts to green beans, this issue is vital to farmers and consumers in our state.

Without modern pesticides and herbicides, growers face higher input costs and reduced yields, which would cost farmers more than $2.8 billion annually in net farm income. These products also allow farmers to use more sustainable no-till farming methods that are better for the soil and require less land.

The impacts of meritless legal challenges would also be felt in grocery store lines. In fact, it could add up to $10 billion to the cost of food annually, which would be passed down to consumers and could cause food inflation to more than double for the average family.

Food security is a fundamental issue, and any policy decisions that weaken U.S. agricultural productivity will have lasting consequences — particularly amid high inflation and a national affordability crisis.

What’s more, the loss of modern crop protection tools could jeopardize U.S. food security. The lawsuits directly target American-made products, and driving them out of business will force the industry to either adopt less effective methods or rely on foreign suppliers, including adversarial nations.

That shift would weaken U.S. agricultural independence, increase vulnerability to supply chain disruptions, and undermine the Trump administration’s efforts to bring manufacturing back home.

The reality is that pesticides and herbicides have undergone decades of rigorous studies by experts and are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). HB 129/SB 992 would address these lawsuits by clarifying that the product labels mandated by the EPA are the law and prevent companies from being penalized for following EPA rules. This bill is narrowly focused on the label and still allows consumers to hold companies accountable for negligent behavior.

If we want to keep American farms competitive, sustainable, and independent, we need science-based policies — not fearmongering or legal loopholes from out-of-state special interests. Removing access to necessary crop protection tools will weaken the very industry that feeds this country and supports millions of jobs.

I strongly urge Florida’s leaders in Tallahassee to work to protect farmers’ access to modern crop management tools by passing HB 129/SB 992 this Session. The food we depend on every day impacts all Floridians, and we all deserve a voice on this critical issue.

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Adam Basford is the vice president of Governmental Affairs, Associated Industries of Florida. Before joining AIF, Basford served as the director of Legislative Affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.