With cancer rates rising and water quality concerns, Iowans are paying closer attention to the Secretary of Agriculture election. Should we make changes? Should we ban chemical pesticides or herbicides like glyphosate? Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said his administration will prioritize accelerating voluntary conservation practices and infrastructure investments to improve water quality, while maintaining a science-based, risk-based approach to pesticide regulation and rejecting blanket liability protections for manufacturers.
Addressing concerns about water quality and nitrate levels, Naig contrasted his farmer-led approach against the regulatory penalties proposed by his political opponent. Since the implementation of Iowa’s nutrient reduction strategy in 2013, the state has aimed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus stream loss by 45%. Naig highlighted historic conservation milestones, noting that cover crops have expanded from a few thousand acres to over four million acres. “We have a strategy. We have historic funding. We’ve got partners, hundreds and hundreds of partners that are working together, public and private, to actually do the work that really will change water quality up in the watershed,” Naig said, pushing back against advocates for heavier state mandates.
To further address infrastructure and environmental needs, Naig pointed to a recently passed comprehensive water quality funding package. This legislation redirects previous funding to invest heavily in conservation efforts within the greater Des Moines watershed and provides grants to Central Iowa Water Works to increase nitrate removal capacity.
Pesticides, Market Diversity, and Direct Meat Sales
When questioned about growing scrutiny over pesticides like glyphosate and paraquat, Naig advocated for a strictly science-based, risk-based approach regulated alongside the U.S. EPA. He defended glyphosate as a crucial, well-studied tool used safely by licensed applicators, particularly for terminating the very cover crops essential to soil conservation. “We have one of the safest, most abundant, most affordable food supplies in the world, and it’s because we have tools at our disposal,” Naig maintained . While supportive of holding manufacturers accountable, Naig explicitly opposed legislative concepts that grant blanket immunity shields to chemical companies.
Beyond staple commodities like corn and soybeans, Naig is pushing to diversify Iowa’s agricultural economy through the three-year-old “Choose Iowa” branding program. The initiative connects local producers of fruits, vegetables, and specialty niche crops directly to consumers, institutional buyers, and local schools . Looking ahead, Naig aims to expand market flexibility for local livestock producers by streamlining interstate commerce rules for official, state-inspected meat lockers. “When you keep those, local producer processes local, sells locally, you keep all those dollars in the state of Iowa,” Naig concluded.
Mike Naig’s official website: https://www.mikenaig.com