KANSAS CITY, MO (AgCentral) – Environmental policy changes under the incoming administration took center stage during the “Environmental Issues” newsmaker session at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) convention, sponsored by Pharmgate Animal Health.

Rod Snyder, former Senior Advisor for Agriculture to the EPA Administrator, and Mary Kay Thatcher, Syngenta’s Federal Government and Industry Relations Manager, discussed potential regulatory shifts, focusing on issues critical to agriculture and environmental sustainability.

Snyder reflected on the contrasting approaches between the Trump and Biden administrations. He noted that the prior administration prioritized reducing regulations and streamlining frameworks, often guided by judicial decisions. He highlighted the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a key issue influenced by court rulings, explaining that “pending litigation” plays a pivotal role in shaping outcomes for industries like agriculture, particularly regarding pesticide use.

Thatcher emphasized the likelihood of continued regulatory reduction under the Trump administration, citing past efforts like the “two out, one in” rule for regulations. She warned, however, against wholesale changes to the ESA, stressing the importance of measured adjustments to protect vital agricultural tools. “If we don’t fix it, we’re going to lose pesticides that are very important to farmers,” she said, urging a balanced approach.

When asked about the issues that keep him up at night, Snyder highlighted two key concerns: a fully functional EPA and climate change. He underscored the importance of maintaining a robust scientific review process to keep American agriculture competitive and lamented the possibility of a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. “The agriculture sector has so much to gain in terms of the low carbon economy,” Snyder said, warning that retreating from international climate leadership could stifle innovation and harm farmers.

The session underscored the complexities of balancing regulatory changes with the needs of agriculture, signaling an ongoing debate as the new administration’s policies take shape.