A K-State weed specialist researches the impact of dicamba drift on non-resistant soybeans in 2018. K-State Research and Extension / YouTube
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the use of products containing the weedkiller dicamba for use on cotton and soybeans Tuesday. The EPA announcement means that two products that contain the herbicide found to cause cancer can be registered for five years. It also extended the use of a third product that also has dicamba in it, according to The Hill.
<p>The EPA said that two canceled dicamba herbicides — XtendiMax and Engenia — will now have a five-year registration. The same five-year extension was granted to the herbicide Tavium. The EPA argued that it provides relief to farmers who were unsure how they would treat their dicamba-resistant cotton and soybean crops.</p><p>"With today's decision, farmers now have the certainty they need to make plans for their 2021 growing season," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-2020-dicamba-registration-decision" target="_blank">statement</a>. "After reviewing substantial amounts of new information, conducting scientific assessments based on the best available science, and carefully considering input from stakeholders we have reached a resolution that is good for our farmers and our environment."</p>
<p>The new rules around the three products are meant to address the concerns of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down a 2018 registration of dicamba products, stating that the EPA "substantially understated" some of the risks associated with the chemical's use, as The Hill reported.</p><p>Also, a study earlier this year published in the <em><a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ije/dyaa066/5827818?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank">International Journal of Epidemiology</a></em> found that the chemical was linked to increased rates of liver and bile duct <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/cancer" target="_self">cancer</a>.</p><p>The EPA's new rules seek to mitigate the risk by increasing the required downwind buffer from 110 feet to 240 feet, and up to 310 feet in areas where endangered species are located. States can still impose their own restrictions on the herbicide, but they will have to work with the EPA and file the appropriate requests, according to the EPA's statement.</p>
<p>Lobbying groups for<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/big-ag" target="_self"> big agriculture</a> and industry insiders welcomed the decision.</p><p>"The economic damage that would result from not being able to use dicamba herbicides would be tremendous," said Ken Fountain, National Cotton Council chairman, as <a href="https://www.agweb.com/article/dicamba-approved-over-top-use-2021-and-beyond" target="_blank">Ag Web</a> reported. "We greatly appreciate EPA's timely issuance of a new five-year label for the critical crop protection product for cotton farmers."</p><p>Environmentalists and consumer advocacy organizations were predictably appalled by the decision that seems to be an end-run around the court's decision.</p>
<p>"Rather than evaluating the significant costs of dicamba drift as the 9th Circuit told them the law required, EPA rushed re-approval as a political prop just before the election, sentencing farmers and the environment to another five years of unacceptable damage," said George Kimbrell, legal director at the Center for Food Safety, according to Ag Web. "Center for Food Safety will most certainly challenge these unlawful approvals."</p><p>Other critics noted the damage already caused by dicamba use.</p><p>"Given EPA-approved versions of dicamba have already damaged millions of U.S. acres of crops and natural areas there's no reason to trust that the agency got it right this time," said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement, as The Hill reported.</p><p>"At this point, the EPA has shown such callous indifference to the damage dicamba has caused to farmers and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a> alike, and has been so desperate to appease the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides">pesticide</a> industry, it has zero credibility when it comes to pesticide safety," Donley added.</p>
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Weeds dying in a soybean field impacted by dicamba spraying. JJ Gouin / iStock / Getty Images
A federal court overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approval of dicamba Wednesday, meaning the controversial herbicide can no longer be sprayed in the U.S.
<p>The product, originally designed by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monsanto" target="_self">Monsanto</a>, is opposed by some farmers and environmental groups because it can drift when sprayed, damaging <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> and other crops.</p><p>"Today's decision is a massive win for farmers and the environment. It is good to be reminded that corporations like Monsanto and the Trump Administration cannot escape the rule of law, particularly at a time of crisis like this," lead counsel George Kimbrell of the <a href="http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=10186" target="_blank">Center for Food Safety</a> told <a href="https://usrtk.org/pesticides/court-orders-epa-approvals-of-bayer-dicamba-herbicide-vacated-says-regulator-understated-the-risks/" target="_blank">U.S. Right to Know</a>. "Their day of reckoning has arrived."</p>
<p>The Center for Food Safety sued the EPA together with <a href="https://nffc.net/" target="_blank">National Family Farm Coalition</a>, <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> and <a href="http://www.panna.org/" target="_blank">Pesticide Action Network North America</a>. The groups argued that the EPA broke the law when it ruled on the safety of a kind of dicamba designed by Monsanto to be sprayed widely over crops genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide. This method means the dicamba can drift to other, non-resistant crops.</p><p>The herbicide is believed to have damaged 3.6 million acres of soybeans in 2017, and more than 1 million in 2018, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-03/bayer-s-dicamba-registration-pulled-by-court-on-herbicide-s-risk" target="_blank">Bloomberg News reported</a>.</p><p>The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the EPA "substantially understated the risks" of the herbicides and also "failed entirely to acknowledge other risks," according to U.S. Right to Know.</p>
<div id="35797" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="77896b9baa08d7fa5905f98e506d5e7f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1268328882094116872" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The court found @EPA refused to estimate the
amount of dicamba damage, characterizing such damage as “potential” an… https://t.co/ev2bah3opD</div> — carey gillam (@carey gillam)<a href="https://twitter.com/careygillam/statuses/1268328882094116872">1591228144.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>One of the risks the EPA failed to acknowledge was the "enormous social cost to farming communities" where the herbicide's use "has turned farmer against farmer, and neighbor against neighbor," the court wrote, according to Bloomberg. A farmer was shot and killed because of a dicamba-related argument in Arkansas in 2016.</p><p>The ruling impacts the dicamba-based herbicide sold by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bayer" target="_self">Bayer</a>, which acquired Monsanto in 2018. It also prohibits the use of BASF's Engenia and Corteva Agriscience's FeXapan, <a href="https://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKKBN23B0JA" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p>Bayer told Reuters that the ruling impacted a 2018 EPA approval that expires in December and that it is currently at work on a new 2021 approval.</p><p>"Depending upon actions by the EPA and whether the ruling is successfully challenged, we will work quickly to minimize any impact on our customers this season," Bayer said.</p>
<p>The ruling comes around four months after a jury ruled against Bayer and BASF and in favor of a Missouri farmer who said the companies' dicamba products destroyed his peach orchard, according to Bloomberg.</p><p>That was the first of around 140 pending dicamba suits awaiting trial.</p><p>The dicamba suits are not the only suits Bayer inherited when it acquired Monsanto, Reuters pointed out. Wednesday's dicamba decision came days after arguments were heard in an appeal of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/jury-finds-monsanto-liable-in-the-first-roundup-cancer-trial--2595446068.html" target="_self">first</a> case to go to trial over whether or not the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glyphosate" target="_self">glyphosate-based</a> weedkiller <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/roundup" target="_self">Roundup</a> causes cancer.</p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Dicamba is having a devastating impact in Arkansas and neighboring states. A farmer in Mississippi County, Arkansas looks at rows of soybean plants affected by dicamba. The Washington Post / Getty Images
Documents unearthed in a lawsuit brought by a Missouri farmer who claimed that Monsanto and German chemical maker BASF's dicamba herbicide ruined his peach orchard revealed that the two companies knew their new agricultural seed and chemical system would likely damage many U.S. farms, according to documents seen by The Guardian.
<p>The lawsuit, which awarded the Missouri farmer $265 million, showed that Monsanto intentionally hid the risks involved in its plans and calculated how to profit off farmers worried about damage to their crops. The documents also show Monsanto's efforts to stymie tests from third-party labs to make sure there was no data that concerned regulators.</p><p>In fact, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/monsanto-crop-system-damage-us-farms-documents" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reports that some employees joked about sharing "voodoo science" and hoping that they stay "out of jail."</p><p>The issue revealed by the documents was about dicamba and a new crop system from the two companies that addressed farmers' growing concerns that weeds resistant to Monsanto's <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glyphosate">glyphosate</a> weed-killer, Roundup, were taking over croplands.</p>
<p>The new system allowed farmers to plant dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton. Then farmers could spray dicamba over their fields and kill everything that had developed a resistance to glyphosate, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/monsanto-crop-system-damage-us-farms-documents" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>The documents, which date back to 2009, show that Monsanto and BASF, despite assuring regulators that their system would prevent drift to neighboring farms, were aware that their system could have catastrophic consequences, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/monsanto-crop-system-damage-us-farms-documents" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. It seems the companies were aware that farmers would likely use older versions of dicamba, which easily turns into vapor and carries away to neighboring farms that were not protected, ruining thousands of acres of crops. Dicamba is particularly volatile and likely to carry away in hot weather.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.agjournalonline.com/news/20200307/lawsuit-floodgates-have-been-opened" target="_blank">AgJournal</a>, dicamba can start to vaporize and drift away three days after it has been applied.</p><p>The revelations from the successful $265 million lawsuit come amidst a deluge of complaints in several states. Regulators in Indiana, a soybean-intensive state, have been overwhelmed for the past three years by complaints that dicamba drift has ruined farmers' profits. According to <a href="http://www.therepublic.com/2020/03/01/dicamba_dilemma_herbicide_causing_hoosier_farmers_state_regulators_big_problems/" target="_blank">The Republic</a> in Columbus, Indiana, "Even small amounts of dicamba hitting unintended crops can lead to a 30% to 40% yield reduction, agricultural experts said. That can mean a $180 loss per acre, or $100,000 for a medium-size farm."</p>
<p>In Missouri, complaints about dicamba misuse have grown into a backlog of more than 600 cases. The Missouri Department of Agriculture had no cases of dicamba complaints in 2017, but was inundated with 595 cases by the end of 2019. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, before dicamba-resistant crops existed, approximately 231,000 pounds of the herbicide was spread every year. In 2017, Americans used more than 10 million pounds on cotton and soybean crops, as <a href="https://www.newstribune.com/news/local/story/2020/mar/02/hundreds-wait-to-have-dicamba-complaints-resolved/818982/" target="_blank">The News Tribune</a> in Missouri reported.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/monsanto-crop-system-damage-us-farms-documents" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported that Monsanto predicted this damage would happen. A 2015 document showed that Monsanto estimated that dicamba damage claims from farmers would total more than 10,000 cases, including 1,305 in 2016, 2,765 in 2017 and 3,259 in 2018.</p><p>"The documents are the worst that I've ever seen for any case that I've worked on," said lawyer Angie Splittgerber, a former tobacco industry defense attorney, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/monsanto-crop-system-damage-us-farms-documents" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. "So many of them put things in writing that were just horrifying."</p>
<p class=""><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with respect to a correction published in The Guardian on March 31. Internal emails described in the third paragraph were from both BASF and Monsanto, according to The Guardian.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Bayer and BASF Ordered to Pay $265 Million to U.S. Peach Farmer in Weedkiller Suit
17 February 2020
Business
Bill Bader, owner of Bader Farms, and his wife Denise pose in front of the Rush Hudson Limbaugh Sr. United States Courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Jan. 27, 2020. Johnathan Hettinger / Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
A jury in Missouri awarded a farmer $265 million in a lawsuit that claimed Bayer and BASF's weedkiller destroyed his peach orchard, as Reuters reported.
<p>The lawsuit is ominous for Bayer, which bought <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monsanto" target="_self">Monsanto</a> in 2018 and now faces nearly 140 similar lawsuits in U.S. courts, plus thousands of other suits that claim health damage from Monsanto's <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glyphosate" target="_self">glyphosate</a>-based Roundup.</p><p>The jury in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau, Missouri awarded peach farmer, Bill Bader, $15 million in actual damages and $250 million in punitive damages, after agreeing with his claim that a herbicide the two German companies produced drifted onto his orchard from nearby farms and irreparably damaged his 1,000 acre peach-tree orchard, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bayer-dicamba-lawsuit/us-peach-grower-awarded-265-million-from-bayer-basf-in-weedkiller-lawsuit-idUSKBN20A0JJ" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.<br></p><p>Bader Farms is one of the largest peach tree farms in Missouri.</p>
<p>As the <a href="https://apnews.com/5f2a0d06474958abb2de46dfc788a993" target="_blank">AP</a> reported, Bader's attorneys argued that dicamba, which is present in herbicides made by Bayer and BASF, is so potent that there was no way for Bader's trees to recover from the exposure. The generous award paves the way for a large spate of lawsuits from farmers who have seen their crops destroyed by inadvertent exposure to dicamba-based products.</p><p>Like Roundup, dicamba was developed and distributed by Monsanto. Farmers across the country have claimed that dicamba turns into vapor and drifts for miles when used in certain weather conditions, as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bayer-dicamba-lawsuit/us-peach-grower-awarded-265-million-from-bayer-basf-in-weedkiller-lawsuit-idUSKBN20A0JJ" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported. They have alleged that it has destroyed millions of acres of U.S. cropland, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/5f2a0d06474958abb2de46dfc788a993" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>.</p>
<p>Attorneys for Bayer said they plan to appeal the decision. "We want our customers to know that, as this legal matter continues, we remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering them the effective and sustainable tools they need in the field," Bayer said in a statement, as <a href="https://apnews.com/5f2a0d06474958abb2de46dfc788a993" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> reported. In court, they argued that Bader Farms trees were damaged by root fungus and bad weather.</p><p>The lawyers also claimed that the decision was not based on facts, saying "there was no competent evidence presented which showed that Monsanto's products were present" on the Missouri farm and were responsible for the farmer's losses, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-14/bayer-ordered-to-pay-15-million-over-dicamba-crop-damage" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>.</p>
<p>The loss in this trial, which surely opens the door for many more lawsuits, heaps an enormous amount of pressure on Bayer Chief Executive Officer Werner Baumann, who staked his career on the $63 billion takeover of Monsanto. He became the first CEO of a major German company in decades to lose a shareholder confidence vote last spring, as <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-14/bayer-ordered-to-pay-15-million-over-dicamba-crop-damage" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> reported.</p><p>Dicamba is not a new product. Farmers have been using it for nearly half a century. However, Monsanto developed a dicamba-resistant strain of cotton and soybeans. That opened the door for widespread use of dicamba, which led to complaints from neighboring farms who claimed that their crops were getting killed by the dicamba drift, as <a href="https://apnews.com/5f2a0d06474958abb2de46dfc788a993" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> reported.</p><p>In response to those concerns, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created tighter restrictions on dicamba usage. Some states have taken additional steps, requiring training and putting in place firm dates dictating when dicamba can and cannot be sprayed, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/5f2a0d06474958abb2de46dfc788a993" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>.</p><p>The legal cases from Monsanto continue to pile up for Bayer. Not only are Roundup and dicamba suits in the pipeline, the company also faces litigation from several cities that claim Monsanto dumped toxic PCBs into waterways, as <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-14/bayer-ordered-to-pay-15-million-over-dicamba-crop-damage" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> reported.</p>
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At David Wildy's soybean fields in Arkansas, soybean plants planted in April 2017 (left) show signs of being impacted by dicamba. Soybean plants planted later in the season (right) stand taller. The Washington Post / Getty Images
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday that it would allow farmers to continue spraying the controversial pesticide dicamba for the next two years. Dicamba is sold by Monsanto to be used on soybean and cotton plants genetically engineered to be resistant to the weedkiller. The problem is that it drifts on the wind, harming non-resistant crops and wild plants. Over the past two years, it damaged around five million acres of crops, trees and gardens, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) said.
<p>The approval does come with new restrictions, but experts and activists say they are not enough. </p><p>"The <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/">Trump</a> EPA's reckless re-approval of this dangerous poison ignores the facts on the ground and damage across millions of acres," CBD senior scientist Nathan Donley said. "Simply adding more use restrictions to an uncontrollable pesticide that already comes with 39 pages of instructions and limitations reflects a broken process. Pesticide regulation has been hijacked by pesticide makers." </p><p>New restrictions, according to CBD and <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/11/01/662918255/the-epa-says-farmers-can-keep-using-weedkiller-blamed-for-vast-crop-damage?t=1541149472588" target="_blank">NPR</a>, include:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Only certified applicators will be able to spray the pesticide.</li><li>For soybeans, spraying will have to end 45 days after planting.</li><li>For cotton, spraying will have to end 60 days after planting.</li><li>There must be a 57 foot spraying buffer around fields where <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> may be present.</li><li>Spraying will only be allowed during certain times of day.</li></ol><p>Iowa State University weed specialist Bob Hartzler wrote a <a href="https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/blog/bob-hartzler/new-dicamba-restrictions" target="_blank">breakdown</a> of the new regulations and how effective he thought they might be. </p><p>"Unfortunately, I don't think these new restrictions will have a significant impact on the problems we've seen the past two years," he concluded. </p><p>Dicamba is a controversial issue for farmers, NPR reported. Some swear by it, while others feel pressured to buy only Dicamba-tolerant seeds or risk having their crops damaged by spraying nearby. </p><p>The whole set-up is a major coup for Monsanto, as NPR explained:</p><blockquote>Dicamba has been a huge success for Monsanto, the company that sells both dicamba-tolerant seeds and a version of the herbicide that's specially formulated for use on them. This past year, dicamba-tolerant seeds were planted on some 40 million acres, representing close to half of all soybeans and cotton in the United States. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bayer" target="_blank">Bayer,</a> the German company that now owns Monsanto, expects that total to grow to 60 million acres in 2019.</blockquote><p>But independent soybean sellers Beck's Hybrids and Stine Seed have pushed the EPA for further restrictions, arguing that farmers should have a real choice between seeds, one that isn't born out of fear. </p><p>It's not just non-Monsanto crops that are at risk. CBD warned that dicamba could further harm already vulnerable <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> like <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monarch-butterflies" target="_self">monarch butterflies</a>. A CBD report found that more than 60 million acres of monarch habitat will be sprayed with dicamba by next year, threatening both the flowering plants needed by the migrating adult butterflies and the milkweed that is the caterpillars' only food source.</p><p> "It's going to take far stronger action to curb dicamba's well-documented dangers to non-target plants and wildlife like monarch butterflies," Donley said.</p><p>There is currently a lawsuit challenging the EPA's original approval of dicamba, but it has not been decided yet, NPR reported.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="60522" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="OJLKXE1576661828"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="965422492608180224" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">'Dangerous Drift-Prone Pesticide' Threatens Millions of Acres, Hundreds of Endangered Species: Farmers and Conserva… https://t.co/1FVTSNy2HW</div> — Zen Honeycutt (@Zen Honeycutt)<a href="https://twitter.com/zenhoneycutt/statuses/965422492608180224">1519009633.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Wine makers in West Texas are reeling from herbicide drift injuries on their grapevines, an emerging threat to the state's $13 billion a year industry, NPR's Morning Edition reported Tuesday.
The damage likely originates from use of Monsanto's dicamba and Dow's 2,4-D formulations on nearby cotton fields. The companies sell cotton seeds that are genetically modified to withstand applications of the weedkillers. If farmers use the products improperly, the highly volatile chemicals can get picked up by the wind and land on off-target crops. When exposed to the herbicides, the leaves on non-target plants are often left cupped and distorted.
<p>
Drift damage has ranged from "light exposure" that does not harm the grapes to "total devastation" at some wineries, according to NPR.
</p><p>
<span></span><a href="https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vitwine/our-specialists/" target="_blank">Pierre Helwi</a> is a viticulturist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, who monitors dozens of the region's vineyards estimates that 90-95 percent of them have been damaged.
</p><p style="">
Texas, the fifth largest wine producer in the country, is home to more than 400 wineries, according to the <a href="https://www.txwines.org/about-texas-wine#TexasWineFacts" target="_blank">Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association</a>. West Texas, which has a dry climate ideal for growing cotton as well as wine grapes, has become the backbone of the state's wine industry and grows about 80 percent of its wine grapes.
</p><p>
<span></span>Last year, West Texas vintners <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/wine-monsanto-dow-dicamba-2-4-d-2177053648.html" target="_blank">expressed this very concern</a> that federal <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-monsanto-dicamba-gmos-2087899331.html">approval</a> of Monsanto and Dow's formulations could jeopardize the sector.
</p><p>
This is the
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/dicamba-crop-damage-2580306844.html" target="_blank">third year in a row</a> where dicamba has affected the nation's crops. A <a href="https://ipm.missouri.edu/IPCM/2018/7/July-15-Dicamba-injury-update-different-year-same-questions/">report</a> from the University of Missouri last month found that dicamba drift caused more than 1 million acres of crop injuries across the U.S.
</p><p style="">
<span></span>The ongoing saga of pesticide drift highlights the growing issue of herbicide-resistant weeds, or <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/genetically-engineered-crops-trigger-cycle-of-superweeds-and-toxic-pes-1881771901.html" target="_blank">superweeds</a>, that have evolved to resist the herbicide <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-glyphosate-cheerios-2093130379.html" target="_blank">glyphosate</a>, or Roundup. In response to weeds such as pigweed that have infested farms across the U.S., <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agribusiness">agribusinesses</a> such as Monsanto and Dow have developed stronger formulations to help farmers.
</p><p style="">
The companies have said their weedkillers can be safely used with proper training and if farmers adhere to label instructions, although some have complained that the instructions are too restrictive or
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-basf-epa-dicamba-2497674908.html">difficult to follow</a>.
</p><p>
Farmers and conservation groups have
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pesticide-drift-lawsuit-xtendimax-2534117304.html">waged</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-lawsuit-dow-enlist-duo-2323372668.html" target="_blank">lawsuits</a> against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pesticide-drift-lawsuit-xtendimax-2534117304.html">EPA</a>) for approving Monsanto and Dow's mixtures.
</p><p style="">
Dicamba's federal approval is subject to expiration this fall, during which the EPA will decide whether to renew the registration or let it expire. 2,4-D is also currently undergoing
<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-reevaluation" target="_blank">registration review</a>.
</p>
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Significant cupping of leaves from dicamba drift on non-Xtend soybeans planted next to Xtend beans in research plots at the Ashland Bottoms farm near Manhattan, KS. Dallas Peterson, K-State Research and Extension / CC BY 2.0
Two of the nation's largest independent seed sellers, Beck's Hybrids and Stine Seed, are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to place limits on the spraying of the drift-prone pesticide dicamba, Reuters reported.
This could potentially hurt Monsanto, which along with DowDupont and BASF SE, makes dicamba formulations to use on Monsanto's Xtend seeds that are genetically engineered to resist applications of the weedkiller. Beck's Hybrids and Stine Seed, as well as other companies, sell those seeds.
<p>
<span></span>The push from the two companies comes after a University of Missouri <a href="https://ipm.missouri.edu/ipcm/2018/7/July-15-Dicamba-injury-update-different-year-same-questions/" target="_blank">report</a> in July that estimated 1.1 million acres of non-resistant soybeans have been accidentally damaged by dicamba this year so far. Off-target damage has also been reported on other agricultural crops, trees and plants. In 2017, the highly volatile chemical damaged a reported <a href="https://ipm.missouri.edu/IPCM/2017/10/final_report_dicamba_injured_soybean/" target="_blank">3.6 million acres</a> of crops, according to the University of Missouri.
</p><p>
Crop injuries have surfaced despite efforts from the EPA and many states that have introduced
<a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/registration-dicamba-use-genetically-engineered-crops" target="_blank">restrictions</a> to prevent off-target dicamba damage.
</p><p>
<span></span>"I've been doing this for 50 years and we've never had anything be as damaging as this dicamba situation," Stine Seed founder and CEO Harry Stine told Reuters. "In this case, Monsanto made an error."
</p><p>
Monsanto, which was purchased for $63 billion by German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer, has been
<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-roundup-ready-soybean-1983477089.html" target="_blank">sharply criticized</a> for selling its dicamba-tolerant Xtend seeds before securing EPA approval for the herbicide designed to go along with it. Monsanto developed the Xtend system to address <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/superweeds" target="_blank">superweeds</a> that have grown resistant to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glyphosate" target="_blank">glyphosate</a>, the main ingredient in <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/roundup" target="_blank">Roundup</a>. <span></span>
</p><p>
In a June 27 letter to the EPA, Beck's urged the EPA to modify the current dicamba label on Xtend crops to only allow usage as a pre-plant option and disallow in-season applications.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="c8643" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="EJ405W1576661897"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1028032225621749761" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@joelbrown22 Beck’s is committed to offering farmers choices. We support the use of Xtend soybeans but we believe t… https://t.co/3noOhbTaDc</div> — Beck's Hybrids (@Beck's Hybrids)<a href="https://twitter.com/BecksHybrids/statuses/1028032225621749761">1533936957.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Monsanto and BASF told Reuters that farmers need dicamba to beat back weeds. DowDuPont did not offer a comment in the report. The companies have said their products can be safely used with proper training and if farmers adhere to label instructions.
</p><p>
But in a Beck's poll of 690 farmers, only 22.6 percent said the label should be kept the way it currently reads, according to a Aug. 10
<a href="https://twitter.com/BecksHybrids/status/1028032225621749761" target="_blank">statement</a> from Beck's CEO Sonny Beck and President Scott Beck.
</p><p>
"There is still a significant amount of dicamba complaints in 2018 as there was in 2017. It appears that although people may follow the label, the product continues to move off-target," they said.
</p><p>
In a
<a href="https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2018/08/dicamba-2018-iowa-experience" target="_blank">blog post</a> this week, Bob Hartzler, an Iowa State University (ISU) professor of agronomy and an extension weed specialist, said off-target dicamba injury has continued despite new label restrictions and mandatory training for applicators.
</p><p>
"The majority of growers using the Xtend system are happy with the increased performance in weed control obtained with dicamba compared to alternatives," he wrote. "However, one ISU Extension and Outreach agronomist stated that farmers planting non-dicamba resistant soybean 'are really upset with the continued off-target movement of dicamba.'"
</p><p>
He noted that while less than 5 percent of Iowa's nearly 10 million soybean acres have been injured by dicamba, "if you are a farmer whose crop has been damaged by dicamba, the fact that the majority of soybean in the state were not affected is of little consolation."
</p><p>
Hartzler said that efforts to limit crop injuries have been unsuccessful. "It is my opinion that the new label restrictions placed following the 2017 growing season, and the training required for applicators of the new dicamba products, has failed to reduce off-target problems to an acceptable level."
</p><p>
Dicamba's federal approval is subject to expiration this fall, during which the EPA will decide whether to renew the registration or let it expire.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3a734" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="H6QOAB1576661897"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1022074527172444160" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">New Dicamba Drift Estimate: 1.1 Million Acres Damaged Already in 2018
#dicambadrift #dicamba https://t.co/ZQvfHOiAjk</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1022074527172444160">1532516531.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Brian Smith and his cousin Hughes, both fifth generation soybean farmers in Mississippi County, Arkansas, stand in soybean fields their family tend to that show signs of having been affected by dicamba use in August, 2017. Getty Images
A University of Missouri report released Thursday estimates that drift damage from the pesticide dicamba has occurred across 1.1 million acres of agricultural crops, trees and other plants so far this year.
This comes less than a year after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and many states introduced additional restrictions meant to prevent off-target damage from the pesticide. Last year dicamba drift wreaked havoc on a reported 3.6 million acres of soybean crops not genetically engineered to resist the notoriously drift-prone pesticide.
<p>"The widespread damage to crops and even hearty trees like the catalpa and Bradford pear confirms this drift-prone poison can't be safely used and shouldn't get approved by the EPA again," said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a>. "You'd have better luck herding kittens than getting dicamba to stay put. The EPA's new leadership needs to end the use of this dangerous pesticide."</p><p>Highly toxic dicamba products are designed for use primarily on next-generation soybeans genetically engineered to resist what would normally be a fatal dose of the pesticide.</p><p>A previous report released last month <a href="https://ipm.missouri.edu/IPCM/2018/6/dicambaInjuryUpdate/" target="_blank">noted</a> that reported damage to specialty crops, vegetables, ornamental species and trees has increased dramatically, indicating that many types of plants can be damaged by dicamba.</p><p>Earlier this year a Center for Biological Diversity <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/pesticides_reduction/dicamba-a-menace-to-monarchs.html" target="_blank">report</a> found that more than 60 million acres of monarch butterfly habitat are projected to be sprayed with dicamba by next year. Dicamba can degrade monarch habitat in two ways: by harming flowering plants that provide nectar for adults as they travel south for the winter and by harming milkweed, which, as the only food of monarch caterpillars, is essential for the butterfly's reproduction.</p><p>"In addition to the farming community again getting slammed by dicamba drift, this uncontrollable pesticide is harming wild plants just outside of agricultural fields that provide important animal habitat," said Donley. "The only reason farmers are turning to dicamba is to kill the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glyphosate">glyphosate</a>-resistant superweeds sprouting across millions of acres. Dumping more and more <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides">pesticides</a> on crops just keeps farmers on the pesticide treadmill. Meanwhile neighboring farms and wildlife pay the cost."</p><p>Dicamba has a time-limited regulatory federal approval that is subject to expiration by Nov. 9, 2018 unless it is renewed by the EPA. The agency will <a href="https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2018/06/20/epa-weighs-dicamba-registrations" target="_blank">decide</a> in mid-August whether to renew the new dicamba registration or let it expire.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="30c38" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5U5QUU1576661903"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="969308105317154816" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Dicamba Drift Could Put 60 Million Acres of Monarch Habitat at Risk https://t.co/HGzQZubBbF @WWF @NWF @foe_us @OrganicConsumer</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/969308105317154816">1519936035.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Soybeans with cupped leaves, a symptom of dicamba injury. University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0
University weed scientists have reported roughly 383,000 acres of soybean injured by a weedkiller called dicamba so far in 2018, according to University of Missouri plant sciences professor, Kevin Bradley.
Dicamba destroys mostly everything in its path except the crops that are genetically engineered (GE) to resist it. The drift-prone chemical can be picked up by the wind and land on neighboring non-target fields. Plants exposed to the chemical are left wrinkled, cupped or stunted in growth.
<p>
Bradley, who has extensively tracked the damage caused by dicamba, noted that this is the third growing season in a row where off-target crops and trees have been affected.
</p><p>
During the 2017 crop season—the first year
<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/major-problems-monsantos-new-gmo-soybeans-1955821571.html" target="_blank">Monsanto's</a> new dicamba-based XtendiMax was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use on the company's Xtend soybeans and cotton—the herbicide reportedly damaged an estimated 3.6 million acres of off-target crops in more than two dozen states.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-dicamba-1995121281.html" target="_blank">Similar devastation</a> occurred in 2016, when 10 states reported hundreds of thousands of crop acres adversely impacted by the apparent misuse of older, unapproved versions of the herbicide.
</p><p>
It appears dicamba damage has roared back this summer. Bradley
<a href="https://ipm.missouri.edu/IPCM/2018/6/dicambaInjuryUpdate/" target="_blank">wrote</a>:
</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">
"Many growers in [Missouri] have adopted the Xtend trait so they don't experience dicamba injury on their soybean crop for a third season in a row. Since the adoption of the Xtend trait is so high in this area, relatively speaking there seem to be fewer soybean fields with injury this year compared to last. However, just as in the past two seasons, there are still fields of non-Xtend soybean in this area showing injury from one end to the other. More surprising to me than that has been the extent of the trees that are showing symptoms of growth regulator herbicide injury in that part of the state where the adoption of this trait is so high."
</p><p>
Monsanto, DuPont Co. and BASF SE sell new formulations of the herbicide said to be less drift-prone and volatile than older versions when used correctly.
</p><p>
Monsanto's chief technology officer Robert Fraley, who
<a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/monsanto-ceo/monsanto-ceo-grant-to-make-way-for-bayers-condon-post-takeover-idINKBN1I81BM" target="_blank">recently announced</a> that he and other top executives are stepping down from the company after <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bayer" target="_blank">Bayer AG</a>'s multi-billion dollar <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bayer-monsanto-merger-2550813842.html" target="_blank">takeover</a>, tweeted on June 16 that there were "very few injury reports so far this year" due to the company's efforts to make instructions for proper spraying <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monsanto-basf-epa-dicamba-2497674908.html">easier to follow</a>.
</p><p>
However, a Twitter used named @rkbier tweeted back on June 21: "Our fruit trees and tomatoes in our yard are a mile away from the nearest dicamba field and have damage. EVERY acre of [LibertyLink] and [non-GMO] bean on our fields is damaged no matter how far away from dicamba they are. There are BIG problems."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><p>
Of the 15 state departments of agriculture that responded to requests for information, only 43 cases of alleged injury are currently under investigation with soybeans, Bradley said in a University of Missouri
<a href="https://www.agriculture.com/crops/soybeans/dicamba-injury-is-back-in-2018" target="_blank">press release.</a>
</p><p>
Bradley expressed concern about Xtend technology adoption increasing this year and in ensuing years, noting that
<a href="https://www.agriculture.com/volatility-highlights-2018-dicamba-concerns" target="_blank">Monsanto expects</a> 2018 Xtend acres to double from 2017 to 50 million acres in 2018.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2018/06/20/epa-weighs-dicamba-registrations?utm_source=Ag+Insider+Subscribers&utm_campaign=00571b6872-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_06_21_02_46&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b0e8c666dd-00571b6872-" target="_blank">DTN</a> reported that the EPA is planning to make a decision by mid-August on whether or not to extend the registrations of XtendiMax, BASF's Engenia and DuPont's FeXapan, which expire Nov. 2018, as Tony Cofer, president of the Association of American Pesticide Control Officials, explained to the website.
</p><p>
<span></span>"Our goal is to make a regulatory decision in time to inform seed and weed management purchase decisions for the 2019 growing season," an EPA spokesperson also told DTN via email.
</p><p>
<span></span>Here are the soybean injury numbers, by acres, in individual states, according to the University of Missouri:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Arkansas 100,000</li>
<li>Illinois: 150,000</li>
<li>Indiana: 5,000</li>
<li>Iowa: 1,200</li>
<li>Kansas: 100</li>
<li>Kentucky: 500</li>
<li>Nebraska: 40</li>
<li>Missouri: 25,000</li>
<li>Mississippi: 100,000</li>
<li>Tennessee: 2,000</li>
</ul><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="30c38" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="TI5EK51576662746"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="969308105317154816" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Dicamba Drift Could Put 60 Million Acres of Monarch Habitat at Risk https://t.co/HGzQZubBbF @WWF @NWF @foe_us @OrganicConsumer</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/969308105317154816">1519936035.0</a></blockquote></div>
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In 2016 Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex in California and Oregon was sprayed with 236,966 pounds of pesticides. Michael (a.k.a. moik) McCullough / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
America's national wildlife refuges are being doused with hundreds of thousands of pounds of dangerous agricultural pesticides every year, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity.
<p>The Center for Biological Diversity report, <em><a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/pesticides_reduction/pdfs/No-Refuge.pdf" target="_blank">No Refuge</a></em>, reveals that an estimated 490,000 pounds of pesticides were dumped on commodity crops like corn, soybeans and sorghum grown in national wildlife refuges in 2016, the most recent year for which data are available. The analysis was conducted with records obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity under the Freedom of Information Act.<br><br>"These refuges are supposed to be a safe haven for wildlife, but they're becoming a dumping ground for poisonous pesticides," said Hannah Connor, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity who authored the analysis. "Americans assume these public lands are protected and I think most people would be appalled that so many pesticides are being used to serve private, intensive agricultural operations."</p><p>The pesticides include the highly toxic herbicides <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0479-0026" target="_blank">dicamba</a> and <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/pdf/24d_red.pdf" target="_blank">2,4-D</a>, which threaten the endangered species and migrating birds that wildlife refuges were created to protect. Refuge pesticide use in 2016 was consistent with pesticide applications on refuges over the previous two years, the Center for Biological Diversity analysis showed.</p><p>America's 562 national wildlife refuges include forests, wetlands and waterways vital to thousands of species, including <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuges/databases/ThreatenedEndangeredSpecies/ThreatenedEndangered_Display.cfm" target="_blank">more than 280</a> protected under the Endangered Species Act.</p><p>Yet intensive commercial farming has become increasingly common on refuge lands, triggering escalating use of highly toxic pesticides that threaten the long-term health of these sensitive habitats and the wildlife that depend on them.</p><p>In 2016 more than 270,000 acres of refuge land were sprayed with pesticides for agricultural purposes. The five national wildlife refuge complexes most reliant on pesticides for agricultural purposes in 2016 were:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex </strong>in California and Oregon, with 236,966 pounds of pesticides;</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>Central Arkansas Refuges Complex</strong> in Arkansas, with 48,725 pounds of pesticides;</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>West Tennessee Refuge Complex</strong> in Tennessee, with 22,044 pounds of pesticides;</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Complex</strong> in Tennessee, with 16,615 pounds of pesticides;</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex</strong> on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, with 16,442 pounds of pesticides.</li></ul><p>Additional findings from the report:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Aerial pesticide spraying</strong><em>: </em>In 2016, 107,342 acres of refuge lands were aerially sprayed with 127,020 pounds of pesticides for agricultural purposes, including approximately 1,328 pounds of the notoriously drift-prone dicamba, which is extremely toxic to fish, amphibians and crustaceans.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Glyphosate:</strong> In 2016 more than 55,000 agricultural acres in the refuge system were treated with 116,200 pounds of products containing glyphosate, the pesticide that has caused widespread decreases in milkweed plants, helping to trigger an 80 percent decline of the monarch butterfly over the past two decades.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>2,4-D:</strong> In 2016 more than 12,000 refuge acres were treated with 15,819 pounds of pesticide products containing 2,4-D, known to be toxic to mammals, birds, amphibians, crustaceans, reptiles and fish and is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of endangered and threatened salmonids.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Paraquat dichloride: </strong>In 2016 more than 3,000 acres of corn and soybean crops on refuge lands were treated, mainly through aerial spraying, with approximately 6,800 pounds of pesticides containing paraquat dichloride, known to be toxic to crustaceans, mammals, fish, amphibians and mollusks and so lethal it is banned in 32 counties, including the European Union.</li></ul><p>"These pesticides are profoundly dangerous for plants and animals and have no place being used on such a staggering scale in our wildlife refuges," Connor said. "The Interior Department needs to put an end to this outrage and return to its mission of protecting imperiled wildlife, not row crops."</p>
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Mark Heatherington / Flickr
The yearly count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico, released Monday, shows a decrease from last year's count and confirms the iconic orange and black butterfly is still very much at risk. The count of 2.48 hectares of occupied winter habitat is down from 2.91 hectares last winter.
Overall, monarchs have declined by more than 80 percent over the past two decades.
<p>"Another year, another reminder: Our government must do what the law and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a> demands, and protect monarchs under the Endangered Species Act, before it's too late," said George Kimbrell, legal director at the Center for Food Safety. "The remaining question is whether the Trump administration wants to do <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monsanto">Monsanto</a>'s bidding or protect monarchs for future generations."</p><p>"We could lose the monarch butterfly if we don't take immediate action to rein-in <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides">pesticide</a> use and curb global <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>," said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the <a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> and co-author of the 2014 petition to protect monarchs under the ESA.</p><p>Roughly 99 percent of all North American monarchs migrate each winter to oyamel fir forests on 12 mountaintops in central Mexico. Scientists estimate the population size by measuring the area of trees turned orange by the clustering butterflies. That population has been dangerously low since 2008. In the mid-1990s the population was estimated at nearly one billion butterflies, but this year's population is down to approximately 93 million butterflies. </p><p>This year's drop is attributed in part to unseasonal weather last year including late spring freezes that killed milkweed and caterpillars, and an unseasonably warm fall that kept late-season monarchs from migrating.</p><p>In 2014 conservationists led by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to protect the butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. Monarchs are threatened by a host of sources destroying their habitat and food, but studies have shown that a main source of their catastrophic demise decline has been <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/gmo-genetically-modified-organism/">genetically engineered crops</a>, engineered with resistance to Monsanto's <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/roundup">Roundup</a> pesticide, which has dramatically increased the pesticide use on their habitat. The Fish and Wildlife Service's initial decision was that <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species">endangered species</a> protection may be warranted, and pursuant to a court victory the USFWS agreed to make a final decision by June 2019.</p><p>A 2016 study by the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that due to ongoing low population levels, there is between an 11 percent and 57 percent risk that the eastern monarch migration could collapse within the next 20 years. Scientists estimate the monarch population needs to reach 225 million butterflies to be out of the danger zone. </p><p>Monarchs have lost an estimated 165 million acres of breeding habitat in the U.S. to herbicide spraying and development. The caterpillars only eat milkweed, but the plant has been devastated by increased herbicide spraying in conjunction with corn and soybean crops that have been genetically engineered to tolerate direct spraying with herbicides. In addition to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glyphosate">glyphosate</a>, monarchs are threatened by other herbicides including <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/dicamba">dicamba</a>, Enlist Duo and by <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/neonicotinoids">neonicotinoid</a> insecticides that are toxic to young caterpillars.</p><p>Monarch butterflies west of the Rocky Mountains overwinter on the central coast of California. Their numbers dropped to a five-year low of only 200,000 butterflies this year, down from 1.2 million two decades ago. A recent study found that if current trends continue, the western population has a 63 percent chance of extinction in 20 years and more than an 80 percent chance of extinction within 50 years.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="83ba0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="BQH3M31576663082"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="969576516190375936" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Groundbreaking ‘Airbnb for Butterflies’ Now Open for Business, Donations https://t.co/RkuscKKzTm @NRDC @NWF @DavidSuzukiFDN @SierraClub 🦋</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/969576516190375936">1520000029.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5283/annual-monarch-count-shows-butterfly-still-threatened" target="_blank">Center for Food Safety</a>.</em></p>
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Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Dicamba—a drift-prone herbicide linked to millions of acres of off-target crop damage across in 17 states—destroys mostly everything in its path except the crops that are genetically engineered to resist it. It's so damaging that several states, including Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri have introduced temporary bans on the weedkiller.
There's now another reason to worry about the controversial chemical. It's particularly harmful to milkweed, the only host plant for the iconic and already at-risk monarch buttery.
<p style="">
In a new report publisehd Thursday, researchers with the
<a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> warn that the expanded use of dicamba, which is projected to increase by nearly 100-fold on cotton and soybean fields, will put more than 60 million acres of monarch habitat at risk by 2019.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="27d95" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="977WIQ1576683844"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="969268965640982528" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">BREAKING: In our new report we found that within two years, dicamba will be used on more than 60 million acres of c… https://t.co/7LB9dWaBXB</div> — Center for Bio Div (@Center for Bio Div)<a href="https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv/statuses/969268965640982528">1519926704.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Here are some key findings from the paper:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>Accelerating harm:</strong> In addition to 61 million acres of monarch habitat being directly sprayed with dicamba, an additional 9 million acres could be harmed by drift of the pesticide.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>Deadly timing:</strong> The timing and geographical distribution of dicamba use coincides precisely with the presence of monarch eggs and larva on milkweed.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>Double trouble:</strong> Dicamba degrades monarch habitat both by harming flowering of plants that provide nectar for adults as they travel south for the winter and by harming milkweed that provides an essential resource for reproduction.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><strong>Greater menace to milkweed:</strong> Research has shown that just 1 percent of the minimum dicamba application rate is sufficient to reduce the size of milkweed by 50 percent, indicating it may have a greater impact on milkweed growth than the already widely used pesticide glyphosate.</li>
</ul><p style="">
Populations of the once-common butterfly
<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/bill-nye-on-glyphosate-we-accidentally-decimated-the-monarch-butterfly-1882073954.html" target="_blank">have plummeted</a> approximately 80 percent in just the last two decades. A major threat to the species is its loss of habitat due to the lack of availability of <a href="http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/About/Native-Plants/Milkweed.aspx" target="_blank">milkweed</a> through land conversion for agriculture, removal of native plants and the use of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides" target="_blank">pesticides</a>.
</p><p style="">
"America's monarchs are already in serious trouble, and this will push them into absolute crisis," said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, and author of the report, <a href="http://www.menacetomonarchs.org/" target="_blank"><em>A Menace to Monarchs</em></a>.</p><p style="">
"It's appalling that the EPA approved this spraying without bothering to consider the permanent damage it will do to these butterflies and their migration routes."
</p><p style="">
The paper notes that in 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's approval for expanded use of dicamba included nearly 500 pages of ecological analyses, but "glaringly omitted any mention or examination of the threat to monarchs."
</p><p style="">
For the study, the researchers examined monarch habitat and projected dicamba usage rates in the coming years, which is estimated to reach about 57 million pounds annually. They produced an
<a href="http://cbdnet.info/public/monarchs/" target="_blank">interactive map</a> showing the locations and time when monarch eggs and larva were sighted, along with the locations and timing of when cotton and soybean crops may be sprayed with dicamba.
</p><p style="">
The Center for Biological Diversity says the EPA has refused to take the necessary action to address the harms caused by the chemical.
</p><p style="">
"There's no question that use of dicamba across tens of millions of acres will deepen risks to our dangerously imperiled monarch populations," said Donley. "When dicamba's use on GE cotton and soybeans comes up for reapproval later this year, the only responsible thing for the EPA to do is allow that approval to expire."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image" style="">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzM4NTY5NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTIxNTk4Nn0.N1yxyzb5HMTJsbeirXEl0Rkje1SXUDi0cvujrPF7TCM/img.png?width=980" id="da9cb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5c3ed1b56cd151763d4ff168c32e0720" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">From the study: "This indicates that dicamba will be used across the South, East and Midwest at the precise time of year when milkweed is absolutely essential to perpetuate the northern migration of monarchs."</small>
</p>
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