Glyphosate Ban Could Cost Illinois Farmers Up to $609 Million Annually
A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Soybean Association found that if Illinois were to ban glyphosate, farmers could lose up to $609 million per year. This represents a 3.6% revenue loss for corn and soybean farmers in the state.
The researchers used a quantitative approach to estimate the potential revenue impacts of a glyphosate ban. They considered alternative herbicides and measured their higher cost and lesser efficiency compared to glyphosate. The results indicate that Illinois corn and soybean farmers could lose $300 million to $609 million per year if the weedkiller were banned.
The study's authors acknowledge that this estimate does not account for potential human health and environmental impacts of shelving glyphosate, nor indirect costs related to using other crop protection tools. However, they emphasize that any yield loss would be hard to bear, especially given the tight margins farmers are already facing.