Pesticide Immunity

At the Iowa Farm Table Podcast

Drenched in Chemicals

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-15:05

Drenched in Chemicals

Why "pesticide immunity" is a terrible idea, and a national problem

Beth Hoffman

Apr 21, 2025

Transcript

Map or where glyphosate is sprayed in USA — U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey found at https://water.usgs.gov

In 2012, Rob Faux was bringing water out to the hens on his organic farm in northeast Iowa when a plane flew over and sprayed pesticides on him, his partner, and his farm. Not once, but twelve times.

The experience of that day and the weeks and months after it led him to become who he is today: an advocate for pesticide control and regulation.

In today’s episode of At the Iowa Farm Table, Beth Hoffman of the Iowa Food System Coalition dives into Rob Faux’s shocking story and what the new “pesticide immunity” laws creeping up around the country could mean for us all.

You can listen to this and every episode of At the Iowa Farm Table wherever you listen to podcasts (ie—Spotify, Apple, etc).

Featured Voices

Rob Faux – diversified organic farmer in northeast Iowa, pesticide‑drift survivor, and Iowa Communications Manager for Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network (PAN) North America)

Key Episode Insights

A negligent crop‑dusting event wiped out Faux’s crops and sparked his fight for stricter pesticide rules.
Proposed “immunity” bills would stop farmers and cancer patients from suing, even when labels intentionally hide risks.
Today, Faux is a cancer survivor. But like many, where his cancer originated from is unknown. In Iowa, there are no laws mandating farmers to alert neighbors as to which chemicals will be sprayed or when. Iowa is also one of the most heavily sprayed places on earth.
Iowans across party lines want companies to be held accountable for land, water, and human health.