Stopping the Drift-Prone Pesticide Dicamba

Dicamba is an herbicide notorious for its tendency to volatilize and drift to neighboring farms, where it indiscriminately kills wild plants and crops alike.

Fuel This Work Tell EPA: Stop Dicamba

What is Dicamba?

u003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003eDicamba is an herbicide introduced in the 1960s that kills flowering plants of all sorts. Dicamba’s pronounced tendency to volatilize and drift, damaging neighbors’ crops, made it unpopular with conscientious farmers and u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/files/bloghttps://centerforfoodsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ncwssdicamba_0.pdfu0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003elimited its useu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e for many years. That all changed with Monsanto’s introduction of the dicamba-resistant crop system in 2017.u003c/spanu003e

u003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003eBy genetically engineering soybeans and cotton to withstand over-the-top application of its new dicamba formulation, Monsanto opened the floodgates to massive spraying of this volatile herbicide in the heat of the summer. The result was devastating, and entirely u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2017/09/20/state-pesticide-regulators-face-2018u0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eunprecedented in the history of U.S. agricultureu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e.u003c/spanu003e

Our Dicamba Litigation

Since 2017, Center for Food Safety has led major legal challenges against EPA’s approval of dicamba herbicides sprayed on genetically engineered crops.rnrnIn 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated EPA’s approval of several dicamba products after finding the agency failed to properly assess the enormous risks and widespread damage caused by dicamba drift.rnrnIn 2024, a federal court again revoked EPA’s dicamba approval, holding that the agency unlawfully ignored public input requirements and failed to adequately address the pesticide’s extensive harms to farmers, crops, pollinators, and natural areas.

Center for Food Safety continues to challenge EPA’s repeated re-approvals of dicamba and advocate for stronger protections for rural communities, endangered species, public health, and the environment. In 2026, CFS and allied groups filed another lawsuit challenging EPA’s latest dicamba reapproval.rnrnCFS has also pursued transparency around EPA’s dicamba decision-making process, including filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to obtain records related to endangered species protections and federal consultation requirements.

Dicamba's Impacts and Our Work

u003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003eWith such extensive injury to crops, it’s not surprising that dicamba drift and runoff also damage u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.xerces.org/publications/scientific-reports/drifting-toward-disasteru0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003enatural areasu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e and u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://investigatemidwest.org/2020/06/16/weve-got-it-everywhere-dicamba-damaging-trees-across-midwest-and-south/u0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003ewildlife refugesu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e. Cypress trees that provide habitat to eagles and other birds are u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/09/27/651262491/a-drifting-weedkiller-puts-prized-trees-at-risku0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003edying from dicamba in Tennesseeu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e. u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://investigatemidwest.org/2020/06/16/weve-got-it-everywhere-dicamba-damaging-trees-across-midwest-and-south/u0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eTrees throughout the rural Midwest and Mid-Southu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e—along field edges, in peoples’ yards, and in towns—incur dicamba damage; and unlike annual plants, the injury to trees accumulates over years.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003eMost critically, u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/dicamba-drift-affects-non-target-plants-and-pollinators/u0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003edicamba injures or suppresses wild flowering plantsu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e that bees rely upon for nectar and pollen, thus causing u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.wired.com/story/pesticides-are-harming-bees-in-literally-every-possible-way/u0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003ehuge drops in honey productionu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e and u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/jan/05/honey-seller-faults-dicamba-in-closing-/u0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eforcing some beekeeping operations to shut downu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e. While largely unmonitored, wild bee populations are undoubtedly suffering as well. Finally, u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://centerforfoodsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/epa-hq-opp-2020-0492-0021_content_23279.pdfu0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eEPA revealedu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022noneu0022u003e hundreds of dicamba damage episodes in counties with threatened and endangered species in 2021 alone.u003c/spanu003e

u003cspan class=u0022TextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 lang=u0022EN-USu0022 xml:lang=u0022EN-USu0022 data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003eExposure to u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003ca class=u0022HyperlinkV2 SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 href=u0022https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11700263/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022TextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 lang=u0022EN-USu0022 xml:lang=u0022EN-USu0022 data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003edicamba was linked to nearly twice the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphomau003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan class=u0022TextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 lang=u0022EN-USu0022 xml:lang=u0022EN-USu0022 data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003e in Canadian farmers, while rats and mice fed dicamba exhibited a dose-dependent increase in u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003ca class=u0022HyperlinkV2 SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 href=u0022https://centerforfoodsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/cfs-objections-to-dicamba-tolerancesu002du002d2-6-17_76338.pdfu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022TextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 lang=u0022EN-USu0022 xml:lang=u0022EN-USu0022 data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003emalignant lymphomasu003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan class=u0022TextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 lang=u0022EN-USu0022 xml:lang=u0022EN-USu0022 data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003e. Yet EPA dismisses this evidence, in violation of its cancer assessment guidelines. More recently, a National Cancer Institute study shows u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003ca class=u0022HyperlinkV2 SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 href=u0022https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32357211/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022TextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 lang=u0022EN-USu0022 xml:lang=u0022EN-USu0022 data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003ehigher rates of liver cancer in U.S. farmers highly exposed to dicambau003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan class=u0022TextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022 lang=u0022EN-USu0022 xml:lang=u0022EN-USu0022 data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003e. u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003eu003cspan class=u0022EOP SCXO19861553 BCX0u0022u003e u003c/spanu003e

u003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eIu003c/spanu003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003en 2017, Center for Food Safety (CFS) u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4744/public-interest-groups-farmers-file-lawsuit-challenging-monsantos-toxic-pesticidesu0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003esued EPAu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003e for unlawful approval of dicamba formulations sprayed on Monsanto’s crops, on behalf of farmers and conservationists. A federal court ruled in our favor in 2020, u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6025/federal-court-holds-monsantos-dicamba-pesticide-unlawful-citing-unprecedented-drift-damage-to-millions-of-acresu0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003erevoking EPA’s approvalsu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003e and prohibiting further sales. However, months later the Trump administration u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6178/epa-reapproves-dangerous-drift-prone-dicamba-pesticides-recently-banned-by-federal-court-for-causing-widespread-economic-harm-to-farmersu0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003ere-approved dicambau003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003e, and CFS is currently leading u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6233/farmers-conservation-groups-challenge-epas-unlawful-re-approval-of-dangerous-drift-prone-dicamba-pesticideu0022u003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003ea new challengeu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003e to those approvals.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eSince 2017, Center for Food Safety (CFS) has led major legal challenges against EPA’s approval of dicamba herbicides sprayed on genetically engineered crops.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eCFS and allied groups challenged EPA after dicamba drift damaged millions of acres of farms, orchards, natural areas, and wildlife habitat across the country.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eIn major victories in 2020 and 2024, federal courts ruled EPA unlawfully approved dicamba products and failed to adequately address the pesticide’s widespread harms.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXW145286134 BCX0u0022u003eIn 2026, CFS and allied groups filed another lawsuit challenging EPA’s latest dicamba reapprovalu003c/spanu003eu003cspan class=u0022NormalTextRun SCXW145286134 BCX0u0022u003e.u003c/spanu003ernrnu003cspan data-contrast=u0022autou0022u003eCFS continues to challenge EPA’s latest dicamba reapprovals and advocate for stronger protections for farmers, rural communities, pollinators, endangered species, and public health. u003c/spanu003e