The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) expressed concern about the claims of a recent, stand-alone report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that moves to reclassify glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. NAWG President Brett Blankenship, a wheat farmer from Washtucna, Wash., provided the following statement on the issue:

“I appreciate people being concerned about food safety and where their food comes from, but years of regulatory scrutiny and scientific review show the clear facts about the safety of glyphosate use in production agriculture. The use of glyphosate in wheat production is minimal, but not absent. On my own farm in Washington State, I use glyphosate well before I plant my wheat to provide a clean planting environment to give the consumer the cleanest and healthiest possible product I can provide as a farmer.

“The claims by the IARC are very troubling and are not based on any new science. More than 25 years of analysis from global regulatory bodies and the international scientific community, assessing updated data and peer-reviewed literature, has consistently provided the same evidence: the toxicity levels of glyphosate are low and glyphosate is not carcinogenic. The discrepancy between 25-years of scientific analysis and one report, which was based on a limited amount of data, cannot be ignored.

Consumers can have faith that U.S. farmers and ranchers, including wheat growers, work tirelessly to provide the safest possible food for our families and theirs. NAWG stands side-by-side with our industry partners and allies in supporting farmers’ conscientious use of glyphosate.”