Sean Dengler.

Senate Study Bill 1051 has entered the state legislature. Proponents for this bill say it prevents litigators from bringing frivolous lawsuits which have racked up millions of dollars to cancer patient lawsuits. Opponents say the bill makes it harder to bring these lawsuits, thus helping shield the companies from liability.

It is a tricky bill. In the current context of conventional agriculture, glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) is a valuable tool in the toolbox. Using chemicals is almost necessary when using no-till and cover crops. There are ways to get around it but making these changes takes time, and the current system is not set up to help farmers make these changes. It is also true Iowa has one of the highest cancer rates in the nation, and the fast-growing rate of new cancers. While this bill helps farmers keep a valuable tool in their toolbox, the potential consequences cannot be ignored. Correlation does not mean causation, and there are a variety of issues which can lead to cancer. It is also hard to ignore the fact of other older farmers who have had or passed away from cancer.

Unfortunately, like egg prices, this bill is a symptom of the larger consolidation issue. Large processors pushed for more corn and soybeans. According to Farm Action, when processors like ADM and Cargill vertically integrated their businesses, they were seeking to “turn their commodity business into an ingredient business so they are not price takers in a commodity market but price setters in an ingredients market.” This led to a push to use only certain ingredients like corn. This pushed for more corn to be grown. This also led to innovations like herbicide-resistant corn which led to less cultivating and more glyphosate.

With the overproduction of corn, this led to ethanol being mandated by the Renewable Fuel Standard. This mandate puts more pressure on more corn being grown and using more chemicals to keep up with the herbicide-resistant weeds. When rotations go from an extended rotation involving corn, soybeans, and alfalfa to only corn on corn, herbicide-resistant weeds can quickly become more prevalent. With South America growing more and exporting more soybeans every year, the world is becoming separated into two segments. The United States becomes the largest corn exporter, and Brazil becomes the largest soybean exporter.

While we must fight over this bill, these grain processors get to reap the benefits while American and Brazilian farmers and rural communities do not see as much of these benefits. Both countries are played against each other as the companies win out every time. These bills help engrain the current system. While these large companies get to enjoy the benefits of this arrangement, there is not as much economic liberty for farmers and rural citizens from these industries. These protections are hard to come by while the boardroom wins out.

By breaking up these large processors, it would force them to again become price takers and not price makers. These companies would not push only for specific types of grain like corn. It would allow for a variety of crops to be grown using different rotations and help prevent herbicide-resistant weeds from developing as quickly. With more companies competing for the farmers’ commodities, it will allow farmers to have a diversified farm to help withstand the swings of the market. The United States has had a competitive processing market before, and we can do it again. We need to enforce antitrust laws we have on the books and utilize the FTC. The agriculture system needs to work for the people and not only businesses.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.