Farmers across the United States are finding themselves pulled deeper into a national conversation about how food is grown and what tools are used to protect the crops that feed America. That spotlight has only grown brighter in 2025 as questions surrounding crop protection, vaccinations, chemistry, and food safety have surged into the headlines. CropLife America CEO Alex Dunn says the attention has created challenges, but it has also created one of the most important opportunities agriculture has seen in decades. She says this is the moment when farmers need to be heard.
To begin, Dunn explains how the year unfolded and why these discussions have escalated.
Dunn says that much of the public still does not understand how crop protection tools are actually used on the farm. Regulations are strict, products are highly studied, and farmers are trained to apply them precisely and sparingly. Yet that level of care is rarely acknowledged in the broader debate, creating a gap between perception and reality. She notes that most consumers have little sense of how modern farming works, from precision technology to spot treatment to targeted applications that are used only when a problem arises.
That gap is exactly why Dunn says it is so important for real producers to speak directly to the public. She points out that when people learn these details from the chemical industry, they often stay skeptical. But when they hear it from a farmer, the trust level changes immediately. Agriculture continues to rank among the most trusted professions in the country, largely because farmers live with the same food, the same clothing fibers, and the same fuels that every other family depends on.
This is what motivated CropLife America to create a platform that highlights real farmers and their real choices. Dunn explains how that effort grew into a national initiative.
The farmervoicesmatter.org project quickly became a hub for authentic farm stories, including a series of interviews with farm moms who talk openly about the tools they use and the responsibility they carry. Dunn says the message is simple. These are parents raising families on the same food they produce. They are not going to do anything that places their children at risk. The platform gives farmers a visible, trusted presence in a conversation that too often leaves them out.
That missing voice became even more important after the release of the first MAHA report, which painted a negative picture of crop protection. The response from agriculture was immediate and unified. Commodity groups, Farm Bureau, specialty crop growers, and others spoke together, warning that without responsible access to these tools, production would fall, food prices would rise, and the United States would struggle to compete internationally. Dunn says that moment proved how broad the stakes really are.
Dunn says the united front within agriculture needs to continue because the consequences reach every American household. These tools prevent crop losses that would have once put entire family farms out of business. They protect yields, secure export markets, and maintain affordable food choices for consumers. Without them, the strain would be felt across the entire economy.
For farmers who want to make their voices part of the solution, Dunn says the pathway is simple. The farmervoicesmatter.org website allows producers to share their stories, communicate directly with their members of Congress, and make sure their experience is represented in the national policy debate. Dunn emphasizes that while organizations can advocate, nothing carries more weight than a farmer speaking about their own operation and their own stewardship decisions.
To learn more or to add your story to the conversation, visit https://farmervoicesmatter.org
