When the ‘Cure’ Becomes the Curse: Why Farmers Should Choose Regeneration Over Chemicals

A recent Guardian article once again exposes the quiet, deadly cost of the industrial agricultural system, this time, tying Iowa’s high rates of cancer to toxic farm chemicals. It’s a story we’ve heard before. And it’s a story many in agriculture still refuse to reckon with.

In my previous soil health-communications work with USDA, I witnessed firsthand how even modest attempts to suggest reducing chemical use in agriculture were met with immediate, coordinated pushback from the agri-chemical industry. I saw administration after administration—including the current one—eventually fold under the pressure, retreating from even the mildest reforms that might dent chemical company profits. Proposals, programs or practices to reduce reliance on synthetic inputs never see the light of day, not because the science isn’t there, but because the lobbyists are.

While I’m not a farmer myself, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing and corresponding with dozens of farmers over the past decade—farmers who have chosen a different path. My great honor has been telling their inspiring stories to (hopefully) encourage others to consider the same path. These farmers have left behind chemical-dependent systems and embraced regenerative agriculture. Through their experiences, I’ve come to realize regeneration isn’t just about healthier soil, improved profits or more resilient ecosystems, it’s also about promoting life, protecting human health and growing hope.

For me, this topic isn’t political, it’s personal. Most of my farming friends, who before transitioning to regenerative agriculture, spent decades repeatedly exposed to agri-chemicals including glyphosate and neonicotinoids. Several of these friends have since been diagnosed with various types of cancer, ALS, or other devastating autoimmune diseases. Coincidence? Maybe. But maybe not.

Through the years I’ve asked dozens of soil health-focused, regenerative farmers the same question: “Would you ever go back to conventional farming?” Not one said yes. In fact, many told me they’d rather quit farming altogether than return to an emotional and economic grind that also exposed themselves, their families, their workers and their customers to known (and unknown) chemical risks.

And yet, in the face of mounting evidence, from scientific studies to personal testimonies, the dominant message from many academic institutions and industry-funded experts remains the same: “We need more research.” (Say the people who derive their livelihoods from conducting research and profiting from the status quo.) And while the data mounts, the academic community and agri-industry counsel patience. But I’ve seen enough. I don’t believe we can afford to wait until every potential causal link is confirmed to act. Especially when we already have a viable, proven, life-affirming, more profitable alternative.

While adopting a new business model is never easy or “success guaranteed,” SHA’s graduates say transitioning to regenerative principle and practices have…

• • Reduced their input costs and improved net per-acre profits.
  • Improved their soil’s function and resilience.
  • Increased biodiversity and life.
  • Allowed them to grow nutrient-dense food that strengthens communities and immune systems alike.
  • Improved their outlook regarding farming and the future.
  • Reduced or eliminated their family’s, workers’, and customers’ exposure to chemicals that have known, or still-unknown, health consequences.

The road to regeneration isn’t easy, but no one must walk it alone. Through the Soil Health Academy (SHA), farmers across the country are finding the knowledge, community, and confidence to transform how they farm and to take back control of their health, their soil, and their futures.

Because when it comes to agri-chemicals and health, I believe it's time to stop asking "Is there a connection?" and start asking "What will it take to make this change possible for more farmers?"

When the “cure” becomes the curse, it’s time for a better way forward. Regenerative agriculture isn’t just an alternative, it’s a viable, life-giving solution to the chemical-dependent, low-profit-margin business model of conventional farming.

Whether you’re a grower, health-conscious consumer, or thought leader, SHA is there to help light the path forward. And with your support, SHA can empower even more farmers to take it, and together, we can make this better way a healthy reality.

About the author:
Ron Nichols has served as the Soil Health Academy’s marketing communications consultant since its inception in 2018. An Emmy award-winning writer and producer, he was the architect of NRCS’s internationally acclaimed “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil” campaign and has received numerous national and regional honors for his work in campaign strategy, writing, and directing — including two PRSA Silver Anvil Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Spokane Regional MarCom Association.