Georgia Passes Federal Pesticide Label Legislation: How Will This Impact Glyphosate?
May 15, 2025 In April during one of the Lunch and Learn sessions regularly held by the Mid America CropLife Association, Steve Taylor, Executive Director of the Missouri Agribusiness Association, told attendees that his state has been trying to pass a bill to protect crop protection product producers from unnecessary lawsuits. This was needed, he argued, to safeguard the future of certain brands important to agriculture.
“It’s a simple one paragraph bill that says federal labels by EPA under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act are sufficient warning labels at the state level,” said Taylor. “This is mainly about glyphosate, which has been subjects to lots of lawsuits in the states. If we don’t do something, we could end up suing this product out of existence.”
And while Missouri’s efforts to pass such legislation are still ongoing, two other states have since stepped up with their own versions of such a crop protection product label law. In April, North Dakota became the first state to pass such legislation. Now, Georgia has also joined this group. On May 12, Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly signed SB 144.
Agricultural organizations were quick to praise the move.
“The signing of SB 144 by Governor Kemp demonstrates that Georgia stands with its farmers, who work tirelessly to produce safe and affordable food for communities throughout the state. We thank Governor Kemp and the legislators, farmers and ag groups that supported this important piece of legislation,” said Brian Naber, President, Crop Science North America & Australia/New Zealand Region. “At Bayer, we are committed to developing agricultural innovations that help farmers thrive. This is important not only for Georgia’s farmers and American agriculture, but also the everyday American worried about the cost of groceries, which could increase if these vital tools went away. We hope states around the country considering similar legislation will also support farmers and the tools critical to their success.”
Loading ...Like the earlier North Dakota law and proposed Missouri one, this legislation directly reinforces the integrity of the regulatory process and ensures that the EPA’s thorough and scientifically based conclusions are adhered to and would further reinforce the health and safety warning labels, which are supported by an extensive regulatory process.
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