EPA seeks to ban acephate pesticides to protect human health and environment

May 09, 2024

By Farms.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposal to cancel nearly all uses of acephate-based pesticides to protect human health and the environment. These pesticides are widely used in fruit and vegetable production. The proposed ban would allow only non-food bearing tree injections, which the EPA has determined do not pose risks to humans or the environment.

This decision follows assessments of public health risks and drinking water published last year, which identified acephate as a significant cause of dietary and neurological problems, including tremors, fatigue, and nausea. For decades, U.S. farmers have used acephate as a cost-effective pesticide for crops like cotton, soybeans, celery, lettuce, and peppers, as indicated by federal data from Earthjustice.

Acephate is one of 18 organophosphate insecticides undergoing the EPA’s routine safety review, conducted approximately every 15 years. Updated guidelines for many of these pesticides will be released between 2024 and 2026.
Although acephate was banned in the European Union more than 20 years ago, it continues to be used in the U.S. to control aphids and other pests. Acephate is a neurotoxicant that disrupts nerve cells and is linked to intellectual disabilities in children.

Don Collins, a licensed agricultural consultant, warned that the loss of acephate would lead to increased use of less effective pesticides, adversely affecting cotton and soybean production in the Mississippi Delta. “The removal of acephate from our insecticide toolbox would be like sending a soldier off to battle without his rifle,” Collins stated in a public comment.

The EPA is accepting public comments on the proposal until June 29 and is considering alternative mitigation options to address the identified risks, aiming for quicker implementation of protection measures. The process for canceling a pesticide can take up to five years, making alternative solutions crucial.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.