The agricultural community has grown increasingly frustrated with the Biden Administration’s EPA, as a backlog of critical rulings has left essential technologies and tools in limbo. Farmers and producers have been waiting for decisive action to address regulatory uncertainties that impact their livelihoods. As a new administration takes the reins, there is hope that long-overdue decisions will be made to support innovation and progress in agriculture.
One of the companies significantly impacted by the EPA’s sluggish response is Syngenta, which has been waiting for critical seed trait approvals that are essential for advancing agricultural productivity. The delay has caused uncertainty and hindered farmers’ access to innovative crop solutions. Jeff Cecil from Syngenta has outlined the company’s challenges due to the prolonged regulatory process and emphasizes the urgent need for the EPA to take decisive action.
Cecil warns that the backlog of seed trait approvals has compromised the United States’ leadership position in global agriculture, leaving the country lagging in technology adoption and use. He stresses that without prompt action, American farmers will continue to face competitive disadvantages on the world stage.
It already takes long enough to get new technologies from the lab to the marketplace; adding regulatory burdens is just wasting valuable time that farmers could already be using products that are caught in the backlog.
As Cecil said, this is something that is going to take the whole Ag industry to deal with. It’s not just one company that faces these problems. The industry has to band together and send a message to Washington.
