Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology

Terry Kippley, CPDA

June 11, 2025

Welcome New Members!

CPDA is pleased to welcome new members Gharda Chemical and Rainbow. 

Membership dues fund our advocacy efforts which include working with EPA on the PRIA and non-PRIA backlog and on the possibility of giving growers credit for the use of Drift Reduction Adjuvants as an ESA mitigation tool alternative to No-Spray buffers which would be difficult for growers and our members.

Gharda Chemicals International, Inc., is a Delaware Corporation; and is a basic manufacturer and global marketer of generic crop protection products. Backed by strong R&D, Gharda is a premier company offering several high quality technical actives and branded products.

Rainbow partners with North America’s leading crop protection brands to deliver a full-spectrum of supply chain solutions—from design to delivery. With local production and design facilities, a growing portfolio of registrations, and an expert U.S.-based team, they are committed to building win-win partnerships. 

CPDA EPA Working Group Meets with the Registration Division

Members of the CPDA EPA Working Group met with Registration Division staff to continue the ongoing dialogue on process improvements to reduce the pesticide registration backlog.



Meeting Attendees:

• Nathan Ehresman (Albaugh), Robert Avalos (Atticus), Dr. Dan Kunkel and Niamh McMahon (Amvac), Jayne Walz (Helena), Matt Granahan and Kevin Dearwester (Helm), Alexis Bromley and Marcia Trostle (Nutrien), Dr. Dave Bolin (Innvictis/Simplot), Lisa Mathias (Winfield United), Nandi Nagaraj (UPL)
• CPDA: Terry Kippley, Andrew Walmsley, Ray McAllister

The meeting focused on the Working Group’s Side-by-Side Pilot proposal. While EPA expressed limited support for the pilot as presented, the agency welcomed non-GLP, anonymous data to inform potential future improvements.

EPA continues its work on PR Notice 98-1 revisions, with the aim of streamlining Group B data requirements through a new self-certification process. The agency is also exploring whether elements of Group A can be included, while addressing CBI concerns.

CPDA emphasized the need for label consistency between me-too products and basic registrants. EPA acknowledged ongoing staffing shifts as a driver of review discrepancies.

EPA also raised concerns about inconsistencies in bridging acute toxicity data and encouraged clearer differentiation between “Me-Too – Composition” and “Me-Too – Label” pathways to reduce submission failures.

Staffing remains a major concern. RD’s total headcount is expected to continue to decline until the end of year, while the Chemistry Branch currently has only a handful of reviewers.

The next step is for the CPDA EPA Working Group to develop and present an example of an expedited submission package. Any questions on participating in the CPDA EPA Working Group, please contact Dave Bolin, Chair: dave.bolin@innvictis.com or Alexis Bromley, Vice-Chair: alexis.bromley@nutrien.com

Andrew Walmsley, CPDA; Dr. Dave Bolin, Innvictis; Ray McAllister, CPDA; Nandi Nagaraj, UPL; Terry Kippley, CPDA

Problems With the MAHA Report?

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s initial report is facing widespread criticism according to a News of the United States (NOTUS) investigation that uncovered inaccurate citations, including at least seven studies that don’t exist. These problems caught the attention of major media outlets including the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post, raising broader concerns about the report’s scientific credibility and policy recommendations.

The White House and the MAHA Commission downplayed these problems, attributing them to “formatting issues.” An updated version of the report replaced all seven of the nonexistent citations – five with completely different references and to two to actual studies written by the same authors.

Even with the corrections, the reaction to the report among Congressional leaders has been mostly negative, especially given the report’s potential impact on food and agriculture policy. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR), Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) have all questioned the report’s validity and its lack of scientific rigor. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN) also warned that the report relies on questionable sources and confuses correlation with causation.



With the Commission’s policy recommendations expected in August, CPDA remains actively engaged to ensure policy proposals are grounded in credible science that support risk-based regulatory decisions.

CPDA Member Testifies Before the Senate

CPDA Membership Engagement Chair Aaron Locker testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging last week, joining a distinguished panel that included Zippy Duvall (President, American Farm Bureau Federation), Jim Alderman (Alderman Farms), and Dr. Chris Wolf (Cornell University).

The title of the hearing was, “The Aging Farm Workforce: America’s Vanishing Family Farms.” The hearing explored the urgent demographic, economic, and policy challenges facing American agriculture and the next generation of farmers.

Locker, representing Kincannon & Reed, the world’s largest executive search and leadership development firm focused solely on food and agriculture, underscored the need to attract and develop future agribusiness leaders as seasoned executives retire, and the talent gap widens.

Locker emphasized that food security is national security, and that without policy reforms that promote regulatory certainty, rural development, and farm profitability, younger generations will continue to exit the agriculture sector. His testimony highlighted how CPDA members are feeling the strain of workforce shortages and leadership gaps across the supply chain.

Thank you Aaron for your service to agriculture and CPDA!

Andrew Walmsley, CPDA; Aaron Locker, Kincannon & Reed; Senator Rick Scott, Chair, Senate Special Committee on Aging; Terry Kippley, CPDA.

Andrew Walmsley, CPDA; Terry Kippley, CPDA; Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation; Aaron Locker, Kincannon & Reed.

PRIA Coalition Audit Comments

The PRIA Coalition, of which CPDA is a member, submitted detailed feedback to the independent auditors conducting a review of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). This audit is a PRIA V requirement. The Coalition’s comments emphasized the need for greater consistency, transparency, and efficiency across the registration process, particularly in content and technical screens, Registration Review, and handling of non-coded PRIA actions. These comments included:

• The need for standardized processes across OPP divisions while increasing concurrent (not sequential) review steps.
• Improving transparency in the 21-day content screen and 45/90-day technical screen, including publication of current SOPs and checklists.
• Streamlining Registration Review by enhancing coordination, improving EPA’s online tools, and identifying ways to conduct risk assessments concurrently.
• Reducing the backlog of non-PRIA actions by implementing uniform practices across divisions and leveraging tools like MyPEST.
• Modernizing IT systems, including updating InertFinder, automating workflows, and expanding use of AI to reduce manual tasks.
• Fulfilling PRIA V training mandates, including the creation of a formal regulatory training program with support from designated institutions.
• Addressing delays in “me-too” product approvals, which make up a significant portion of RD’s workload.

The Coalition also underscored the need for a robust workforce assessment to determine resources necessary to meet statutory PRIA deadlines and ensure sustainable review capacity.

CPDA Hosts Corbet Scientific President & CEO Glenn Pacchiana

Andrew Walmsley and I were honored to host Glenn Pacchiana, President and CEO of Corbet Scientific, and a CPDA member company at our office last week. Glenn provided an update on the exciting technologies Corbet Scientific is developing to support sustainable agriculture and improve crop protection.

Terry Kippley, CPDA; Glenn Pachianna, Corbet Scientific; Andrew Walmsley, CPDA

CPDA Supports Plant Biostimulant Act

CPDA has endorsed the bipartisan Plant Biostimulant Act, introduced by Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), with companion legislation in the House of Representatives by Jim Baird (R-IN) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). If enacted, the bill would establish a federal definition for plant biostimulants, clarify their regulatory status under FIFRA, and direct USDA to study their contributions to soil health and sustainability.



CPDA joins a broad coalition of industry groups in supporting this legislation, which seeks to provide regulatory clarity and promote the adoption of innovative agricultural technologies.

CPDA Supports Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act

CPDA, along with 300 other organizations, signed a letter to Congressional leaders urging swift passage of the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act, bipartisan legislation that would reaffirm EPA’s authority as the sole arbiter of pesticide labeling under FIFRA. The effort responds to growing concerns over state-level actions that conflict with EPA-approved labels, risking a patchwork of inconsistent requirements while undermining EPA’s science-based regulatory framework.

The letter highlights the importance of preserving national label uniformity to protect grower access to critical crop protection tools, ensure regulatory certainty, and maintain public confidence in EPA’s science-driven decisions. The legislation would clarify that while states may regulate pesticide use within their borders, they may not impose additional or different labeling requirements than those approved by EPA.

California DPR Proposed Groundwater Regulation

California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is proposing to revise how pesticides are evaluated for potential groundwater contamination. The updated methodology would create a unique-to-California approach that allows DPR to list active ingredients based on potential degradants and not just on the active ingredient.



While the proposal includes removing some pesticides currently deemed unlikely to contaminate groundwater, it would also add more than 50 AI under the new criteria. This marks a significant expansion from earlier DPR communications, which framed the effort primarily as a cleanup of misclassified products.

CPDA is reviewing the proposal closely and coordinating with stakeholders. Comments on the proposal are due by June 30.

State Affairs Update

CPDA continues to monitor key legislative developments within the states for how they may impact the crop protection industry. State updates include:

• Louisiana SB 14: The original bill included atrazine in a proposed warning label mandate for food products. Following industry efforts, atrazine was removed from the bill. The legislation passed both chambers unanimously and awaits the Governor’s signature.
• North Carolina SB 639 (Farm Act of 2025): If enacted, the bill would revise some pesticide regulations, including registration fee adjustments and a pesticide liability protection clause. The bill has cleared key Senate committees and awaits floor action by the full Senate. The liability protection provision continues to face opposition from anti-agriculture groups.
• Texas SB 25: Early versions of the bill sought warning labels on food products containing substances like atrazine and glyphosate. Amendments were adopted to remove references to atrazine* and glyphosate, incorporate federal preemption language, and align state regulations with FDA standards. The amended bill passed both chambers and is pending the Governor’s signature.

CPDA’s Capitol Connection

At CPDA, our commitment to advocacy and member support remains at the core of everything we do. CPDA’s Capitol Connection is your go-to source for quick, essential updates on policies and regulations impacting your business—in just two minutes.

Each week, we will break down the most pressing issues affecting our industry, offering valuable insights into both state and federal initiatives.

The latest Capitol Connection can found on our website and LinkedIn page.

Upcoming Industry Events

Until next time….