The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a Draft Fungicide Strategy that federal officials say is intended to protect endangered species without jeopardizing American agriculture’s ability to produce an abundant and affordable food supply — a balancing act that farm groups have increasingly urged regulators to prioritize as growers face mounting economic pressures.
The proposal outlines a nationwide framework for evaluating how fungicides affect more than 1,000 federally endangered and threatened species while preserving access to crop protection products that many farmers consider essential to maintaining yields, combating crop disease and controlling rising production costs.
EPA officials emphasized that fungicides remain a critical part of modern agriculture, helping producers protect crops from devastating plant diseases that can sharply reduce harvests and drive up food prices for consumers. Industry leaders and agricultural economists have long argued that crop protection tools play a central role in improving productivity, stabilizing food supplies and keeping grocery costs lower than they otherwise would be.
“American farmers are the lifeblood of our economy and our nation’s food supply,” the agency said in announcing the proposal. “They need a diverse toolbox of innovative agricultural technologies to manage crop disease, prevent resistance, and produce the affordable, nutritious food that feeds our country.”
The draft strategy comes as growers across the country confront tighter margins, volatile commodity markets and growing regulatory scrutiny over pesticide use. Agricultural organizations have repeatedly warned that overly restrictive pesticide policies could reduce yields, limit farmers’ ability to respond to disease outbreaks and ultimately increase food costs for consumers already strained by inflation.
The EPA’s proposal seeks to avoid those outcomes by creating what officials describe as a more flexible, science-based system for complying with the Endangered Species Act while maintaining the availability of fungicides widely used on crops ranging from corn and soybeans to fruits and vegetables.
Under the framework, the EPA would evaluate potential impacts on protected species, identify mitigation measures where necessary and determine where those protections should apply geographically. The agency stressed that the draft itself does not impose immediate restrictions, but instead serves as guidance for future pesticide registration and review decisions.
The proposal also includes additional flexibility for farmers and applicators, including expanded options to reduce spray-drift buffer distances and new mitigation tools such as the use of guar gum as a spray adjuvant.
EPA officials said the strategy was designed in part to improve transparency and predictability for growers who have faced uncertainty from years of legal challenges surrounding pesticide approvals. The agency said every approved pesticide must undergo extensive scientific review and poses no health concerns when used according to label instructions.
The draft strategy builds on earlier EPA efforts involving herbicides and insecticides, but agency officials say lessons learned from those earlier proposals helped shape a more workable approach for agriculture.
Farm-state lawmakers and agricultural groups have increasingly pressed federal regulators to recognize the role pesticides play in sustaining food production at a time when global demand for grains, oilseeds and specialty crops continues to rise. Fungicides, in particular, are viewed by many producers as indispensable tools for preserving crop quality and maximizing yields in the face of disease pressure intensified by changing weather patterns.
The EPA has opened a 60-day public comment period and plans to hold a public webinar May 20 to gather feedback from farmers, researchers, state officials, Tribal representatives and conservation groups before finalizing the strategy later this year.
The agency said it expects to complete the final Fungicide Strategy by November 2026, a decision likely to shape the future of pesticide regulation — and the economics of American farming — for years to come.
CLICK HERE to download EPA’s Draft Fungicide Strategy.
CLICK HERE to register for EPA’s public webinar on May 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.
