Response to Ackerman et al. study – Would banning atrazine benefit farmers?
Atrazine is one of the most widely studied and closely scrutinized herbicides in the world. It is also one of the most valuable—illustrated by the fact that it is a key component in more than 150 products and used by farmers throughout the United States and in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Considering Dr. Ackerman’s research was funded by an organization that actively opposes the use of many crop protection products, it’s no surprise that this study disagrees with our analysis on the benefits of atrazine, though it is interesting that he waited two years to voice his opinion. But that does not change the fact that when it comes to crop protection, there is no alternative to atrazine.
The numbers reported in our benefits analysis are conservative estimates of the environmental and economic value brought on through the use of atrazine. The research that backed our report was the result of several studies and analyses conducted over several years by five independent academic researchers and economists. It clearly shows the integral role atrazine plays in the management of resistant weeds and the adoption and continued use of conservation tillage on U.S. farmland to lower costs to farmers and improve yield.
Syngenta stands by these findings and the many benefits that atrazine offers to food production, crop yield, the environment, job creation and the U.S. economy.
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