US EPA Proposes Dicamba Comeback for Cotton and Soybean Farmers Despite Controversy

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed reinstating approvals for three dicamba-based weedkillers used on genetically modified cotton and soybean crops. This move follows a 2024 federal court ruling that vacated prior registrations over the EPA’s failure to follow public input procedures, leaving farmers unable to use dicamba this season.

Dicamba, an herbicide known for controlling stubborn weeds, has drawn criticism from environmental groups for its tendency to drift and damage nearby crops. Despite this, the EPA's recent review concluded that the chemical poses no significant human health risks. However, some environmental risks to plants were identified, prompting proposed application limits and usage restrictions.

Major agrochemical companies Bayer, BASF, and Syngenta have applied for renewed registrations. Bayer, the maker of XtendiMax, welcomed the public comment period and defended dicamba’s safety when used as directed. BASF committed to working with regulators, while Syngenta has yet to respond.

The American Soybean Association-closely linked to EPA official Kyle Kunkler, a former lobbyist-has expressed cautious support, calling dicamba a vital tool for growers. As debate resumes, the proposal reignites tensions between agricultural needs and environmental safeguards.

Reinstating dicamba approvals for cotton and soybean use restarts one of the more contentious agricultural-chemical debates in US farming. Dicamba's tendency to drift and damage nearby non-target crops has produced repeated litigation, farmer-versus-farmer disputes and regulatory back-and-forth over the past decade. The proposed application limits and usage restrictions attempt to address the drift concerns while preserving the herbicide's utility for weed control.

For agricultural supply chains, the ongoing dicamba controversy illustrates broader questions about pesticide risk management, farmer choice and rural community health. Downstream buyers (food manufacturers, retailers) increasingly face scrutiny over the input chemistry of the crops they source, and their supplier standards increasingly reflect drift-related concerns even where regulatory approval permits use.

For agricultural input companies, food processors, retailers and financial institutions supporting sustainable-agriculture investment, Cognitud's sustainability due diligence, supply chain and operations and impact assessment teams help clients evaluate exposure to agrochemical policy changes, structure supplier-standards programmes that address drift and residue concerns, and prepare disclosures aligned with SBTN, TNFD and jurisdictional agricultural-sustainability frameworks that increasingly influence food-sector reputation and buyer relationships.