The facts about 2,4-D safety
- 2,4-D is an herbicide that helps farmers selectively control invasive weeds that can significantly reduce the amount of food they produce, if left unattended.
- 2,4-D has a recognized safety profile and an established, decades-long record of regulatory review and approval. More than 90 regulatory bodies around the world charged with protecting human health and the environment, alongside thousands of scientists, have approved the safety of 2,4-D when used as directed.
- As an approved pesticide, 2,4-D is continually monitored, and unintended effects must be reported to regulators. All approved pesticides are reevaluated every 15 years in the U.S. to ensure the latest scientific data is considered and the product meets current standards for safe use.
Why farmers need 2,4-D
Farmers use modern herbicides, including 2,4-D, to help control damaging weeds that can devastate crops by competing for water, nutrients, sunlight and space.
Safe, effective herbicides help farmers more efficiently use resources including land, water and the energy needed to grow food, so they can produce more per acre, feed more people – and do it more affordably and sustainably.
These products also make it possible for farmers to use techniques and practices that make agriculture more sustainable – such as no-till farming and the planting of cover crops which help sequester carbon.
2,4-D safety facts
Recognized safety profile. As recently as 2020, the U.S. EPA reaffirmed its review of all available human health data on 2,4-D in a Human Health Assessment completed during the re-registration process for a major crop protection product and approved the safety of 2,4-D when used as intended.
Meets all environmental safety standards. More than 90 regulatory bodies around the world that are charged with protecting the human health and the environment have approved the safety of when used as directed – including Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).
A long history of safety. 2,4-D has a recognized safety profile that goes back nearly a century and that continues to be repeatedly reviewed, re-examined, and retested by regulatory bodies all over the world to ensure it considers the latest scientific data and meets current standards for safe use.
Well-studied and understood. There are more than 4,000 peer-reviewed, published studies and articles on 2,4-D. Utilizing this scientific literature, regulatory authorities around the world have concluded that 2,4-D may be safely used as directed – meaning when it is used according to the label to control weeds.
Where is 2,4-D used?
Safe, effective herbicides help farmers around the world produce enough food and fuel to meet the needs of our growing population.
More than 90 regulatory bodies around the world charged with protecting human health and the environment have approved the safety of 2,4-D when used as directed – including Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)."
What is 2,4-D Choline?
Newer formulations of herbicides with 2,4-D choline stay where they are sprayed – with near-zero volatility and greatly reduced potential for drift, they can be used without damaging surrounding crops or other areas when used as intended. After doing their job, these formulations break down quickly and dissipate, without lingering or building up in the environment.
LEARN MOREExplore the safety findings
This meta-analysis published in the Annals of Epidemiology examined possible links between 2,4-D and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, gastric cancer, and prostate cancer and found that 2,4-D was not associated with NHL, gastric cancer, or prostate cancer.
Three separate U.S. EPA reviews of studies conducted over nearly two decades found that 2,4-D was not carcinogenic, classifying 2,4-D in their lowest category for concern as a potential cancer agent in humans.
The U.S. EPA recently posted its final Biological Opinion on two major agricultural products containing 2,4-D and determined that the use of these products, as specified in the approved product labels, is not likely to jeopardize any listed species or adversely modify their critical habitats.
This website is brought to you by Corteva Agriscience (Corteva, Inc.). To learn more about Corteva, visit www.corteva.com.