Thousands of Growers Stand Up for Atrazine

Longstanding pesticide faces government review, activist campaign, and two lawsuits

Boone, IA (August 31, 2010) –

As producers gather amid Iowa corn fields at this week’s Farm Progress Show, thousands of them are also standing up for atrazine, the critical herbicide many have used on their own corn and sorghum for decades.

Thousands of farmers and dozens of agriculture organizations from the corn belt and across the United States have signed an online petition on this site that will be sent to U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, voicing growers’ concerns about her agency’s over-reaching in its renewed review of atrazine. That review is underway now and could result in increased restrictions or an outright ban of this critical product, which has been used safely by growers for as long as two generations.

“Growers who depend on atrazine to maximize yields, conserve the soil and help produce their crops affordably are standing up to let their voices be heard,” said Jere White, chairman of Triazine Network, who started the online petition.   You can stand up for atrazine, too, by clicking on this link.

The critical crop-protection product is facing not only another government review, but also an orchestrated activist campaign lead by anti-agriculture groups and two class-action lawsuits in Illinois state and federal courts against its primary manufacturer, Syngenta.

“Now is the time to join this movement to save atrazine, and stand up against extremist groups who want to hijack regulators into driving us out of business,” White said.

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