Trump Signs Order to Boost Glyphosate Production

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 18, invoking the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production of glyphosate-based herbicides and key ingredients like elemental phosphorus. The action, aimed at bolstering national security and agricultural supply chains, has drawn sharp criticism from health advocates who argue it prioritizes chemical-dependent farming over public safety.

The order addresses vulnerabilities in the production of glyphosate, the active ingredient in widely used herbicides such as Roundup. Officials stated that shortages could jeopardize crop yields, raise food prices and disrupt farms, given the reliance on a single U.S. manufacturer, Bayer's Monsanto subsidiary. The Department of the Interior designated elemental phosphorus, a critical component, as a scarce material essential to defense needs. Without alternatives to glyphosate, the White House emphasized, agricultural productivity and food affordability would suffer, affecting military readiness and rural economies.

Glyphosate is applied to vast areas of U.S. farmland, with about 280 million pounds used annually on 285 million acres, primarily for corn, soy and cotton...