Rising cancer rates in Iowa and other agricultural states are becoming too much for communities to ignore, experts said Thursday.
At the Midwest Research on Pesticides and Public Health panel discussion, speakers noted growing concerns about environmental exposures associated with industrial agriculture, including pesticides, nitrate pollution, PFAS, and radon.
The virtual event featured oncologist Dr. Richard Deming of Des Moines’ MercyOne Cancer Center, investigative journalist Carrie Gillum, Iowa Environmental Council policy director Kelly Johansen, food and water surveillance research director Amanda Starbuck, and Iowa resident Lisa Lawler, who was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time last year.
This panel discussion, sponsored by Second Story Fundraising, is part of Investigate Midwest’s broader reporting project examining pesticide use, cancer incidence, and health concerns in the agricultural community.
A national analysis found that the 500 counties with the most pesticide use per square mile are located in the Midwest. Sixty percent of these counties had cancer incidence rates higher than the national average of 460 per 100,000 people, according to an analysis of data from both the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Cancer Institute.
Kelly Johansen, Iowa Environmental Council
Johansen said the Iowa Environmental Council, in partnership with the Harkin Institute, held more than a dozen listening sessions across Iowa last year and heard the same stories over and over again from residents.
“One of the questions we asked was, ‘Have you or someone close to you been diagnosed with cancer?’ And in every room, everyone’s hands went up and people kind of looked around at each other, and that was the moment we realized this was a real issue in our community,” Johansen said.
Lisa Lawler lives in Iowa
Lawler, who grew up on a farm in Hardin County, Iowa, said she was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2025 after moving back to her hometown several years ago to help care for her parents.
Lawler said she requested genetic testing after being diagnosed with breast cancer because her mother also had the disease. She said the test did not identify common inherited breast cancer markers, raising concerns about possible environmental factors.
She and other panelists emphasized that farmers are not to blame.
“They are hard-working people and consider themselves good stewards of the land,” she said. “What are they being told they need to use on their land? That’s the crux of it.”
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Panelists explained that modern agriculture is a system shaped by decades of industrialized agriculture, chemical manufacturers, and federal agricultural policies that have left many farmers heavily dependent on pesticides.
Carey Gillam “The New Lady”
Gillum, author of “Whitewash” and “The Monsanto Papers,” said glyphosate use skyrocketed after Monsanto introduced genetically modified crops engineered to withstand direct spraying, ultimately contributing to resistant weeds and mass use of the chemical.
“As we sit here today, agricultural production and food production is largely dictated by the companies that sell seeds and chemicals, and the companies tell legislators, policymakers, leaders, and regulators how to oversee these crops (and) what to say about their safety,” Gillum said.
Deming said Iowa’s second-highest cancer rate in the country is likely due to a combination of factors, but argued that the state’s widespread use of pesticides and unusually high radon exposures warrant serious attention.
Dr. Richard Deming, MercyOne Cancer Center
“The reason we need to look at the environment is because so much of our land is under (agriculture) cultivation using chemicals, and there is good evidence that some of these chemicals increase the risk of cancer,” Deming said.
Panelists also discussed ongoing litigation involving pesticide manufacturers, including Bayer, and a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision that will determine whether chemical companies can continue to sue for failing to warn consumers about the cancer risks associated with their products.
The conversation frequently returned to the tension between modern agricultural production and public health concerns. Starbuck argued that the United States has become increasingly reliant on chemical-intensive commodity production and that many farmers are economically trapped in a system in which a large portion of Midwest corn is used for ethanol, animal feed, and processed food ingredients.
According to Starbuck, very little actually nourishes humans directly.
Amanda Starbuck, Food & Water Watch
“[Farmers]didn’t build this system. In fact, for the vast majority of farmers, this system is really unprofitable. Most farmers are in the red every year, and it’s very difficult to get out of it. So I think we also need policies to give farmers both the financial resources and the education they need to move to a more diverse system and find markets for their products.”
Audience members also expressed concerns about pesticide drift, intensive animal feeding operations, and access to cancer treatment in rural areas.
The panel was held as state legislatures and courts across the country continue to debate pesticide regulation, corporate liability protections, and the environmental impacts of industrial agriculture.
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