A significant increase in lobbying expenditures by a major biotech firm has cast a spotlight on the intense political battle surrounding a controversial pesticide labeling bill in Iowa. This legislative effort, designed to alter the landscape of product liability lawsuits, has ignited fierce debate among environmental groups, agricultural associations, and legal organizations across the state.

Bayer, the prominent manufacturer of the widely used herbicide Roundup, has dramatically escalated its lobbying activities in Iowa. State-published client reports reveal that the company expended $123,250 in 2025 and $86,099 in 2024 on lobbying efforts, figures that starkly contrast with the annual $20,000 to $30,000 spent between 2021 and 2023, prior to the bill’s introduction.

An analysis of lobbying data by Food & Water Watch, an environmental advocacy group actively protesting and lobbying against the proposed legislation, underscores the scale of Bayer’s intensified influence. Their findings indicate that the company’s spending in the periods following the bill’s proposal is nearly double its expenditures over the entire preceding decade, from 2013 to 2023.

In response to scrutiny, Bayer issued a statement characterizing lobbying as a “normal part” of its political engagement, asserting its commitment to ethical and transparent practices across its agricultural, pharmaceutical, and consumer health divisions. Despite the bill not explicitly naming Bayer or glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, these entities have remained central to the legislative discourse.

The context for this legislative push includes over $10 billion already spent by Bayer to settle numerous lawsuits from customers who allege that Roundup caused cancer. The proposed Iowa bill, which failed to advance in both 2024 and 2025, aims to prevent individuals from suing pesticide companies if their products adhered to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency labeling regulations.

Opponents of the bill, spearheaded by groups like Food & Water Watch, have vehemently labeled it the “cancer gag act,” arguing that it would strip Iowans of their fundamental right to legal recourse against potentially carcinogenic pesticide products. They assert that even with EPA-compliant labeling, the inherent risks associated with such chemicals necessitate robust legal avenues for affected individuals.

Beyond Bayer’s direct spending, allied organizations have also engaged in significant lobbying. Modern Ag Alliance, a consortium including Bayer, spent $10,000 in 2025, while groups such as the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation also registered their support for the bill. In contrast, Food & Water Watch’s lobbying budget remained comparatively modest.

The legislative initiative also faced formidable opposition from prominent legal organizations with substantial lobbying capacities. The Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Iowa Association for Justice, and the Iowa State Bar Association collectively spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2025, actively registering positions against the bill and advocating for the preservation of citizens’ legal rights.

The contentious battle over pesticide liability extends beyond Iowa, with Bayer and Modern Ag Alliance actively advocating for similar legislation at the federal level. A recent letter endorsed by over 350 agricultural interest groups urged Congress to consider a federal bill, indicating a broader, national effort to establish regulatory protections for pesticide manufacturers.