Listen Now | 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.
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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.
Resources & Action
* Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network (PAN) North America – campaigns, science briefs, action alerts, resources:.
* Find Your Iowa Legislator – quick lookup & contact info
* Roundup/Cancer Trial Tracker – ongoing litigation statistics (U.S. Right to Know)
News & Media
* Iowa House declines to advance bill shielding pesticide companies from cancer lawsuits—IPR
* 30+ Groups To Iowa House: Stop Cancer Gag Act—Food & Water Watch Iowa
* Farmer raises concern over bill exempting pesticide companies from lawsuits—KCRG
* Bayer moves to block lawsuits that claim glyphosate causes cancer—Chemical and Engineering News
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