Investigate Midwest (https://investigatemidwest.org/tag/basf/)
After five years of reported crop damage by the weed killer dicamba, German agribusiness companies Bayer and BASF will head to trial next week to defend themselves against charges that they intentionally caused the problem in order to increase their profits.
If the Illinois Department of Agriculture sees more complaints related to the herbicide dicamba this year, state agriculture officials worry lawmakers may consider banning its use altogether.
“With soybeans, people are out looking for it because it can affect their bottom line,” said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “With milkweed, the lack of complaints doesn’t mean it’s not there. It’s just not widely reported on.”
The announcement comes after Monsanto posted record profits in Fiscal Year 2017, largely because of a demand for its new generation of genetically modified soybean and cotton seeds.
The emails – contained in more than 60 pages of documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act - show the companies often suggested how to deal with the complaints, sometimes without any solicitation from department officials.
The warning came from an industry group of pesticide applicators during a December 2016 meeting held to discuss whether the pesticide should be designated as “restricted use,” which means only certified applicators can apply the pesticide. A non-restricted use pesticide can be purchased and applied by anyone and records of application are not required.
In August, the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association surveyed its 178 agriculture retail companies about their experience with dicamba this growing season. The association received 124 responses, which were anonymous. The overwhelming majority of respondents reported issues with dicamba, even when following the label.
Tougher restrictions will be coming to the label for the weed killer dicamba, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday, according to a report from Reuters.
As soybean and cotton farmers across the Midwest and South continue to see their crops ravaged from the weed killer dicamba, new complaints have pointed to the herbicide as a factor in widespread damage to oak trees.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided to allow use of the herbicide dicamba in 2018, but with safeguards, according to a report by Reuters.