ASTA defends pesticide use after health panel questions safety

The American Seed Trade Association pushed back Friday, May 23, against a federal health advisory panel’s preliminary report that questioned the safety of pesticides used in US crop production, saying the nation’s farmers rely on well-regulated tools to maintain food supply and manage costs.

The statement from the Alexandria, VA-based group followed the release of an initial assessment by the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which called for tighter scrutiny of chemical inputs in agriculture. The commission, part of a White House initiative focused on improving public health, raised concerns about potential risks to children and long-term effects on the food system.

ASTA said the report lacked sufficient scientific evidence and risked undermining confidence in longstanding regulatory practices.

“Crop protection tools are the solution, not the problem, to inflationary costs for American farmers, and the families that rely on them as a food source,” the group said in a statement. It added that US farmers, who account for less than 2% of the population, follow strict safety and environmental standards.

The seed industry group said it supports the administration’s broader goals to improve health outcomes but emphasized that any shift in agricultural policy should remain grounded in scientific research. “Our national policies regarding the introduction of innovative agriculture production tools, like pesticides, must continue to be based on science,” the association said.

Pesticides and other crop protection chemicals are regulated in the US by the Environmental Protection Agency, which evaluates their environmental and human health risks before approving them for commercial use.

Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association represents more than 700 companies involved in seed production, plant breeding and related agricultural industries. Its members supply seeds for a range of farming methods, including conventional, organic and biotech production.

The MAHA Commission has not issued final recommendations. A full report is expected later this year.