Senator Dunn Responds to Irresponsible Reporting on Yuma Agriculture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                               

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Senator Dunn Responds to Irresponsible Reporting on Yuma Agriculture

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Arizona State Senator Tim Dunn, a lifelong farmer, is calling out a recent Cronkite News article – republished by multiple outlets statewide – for spreading misleading and unscientific claims about pesticide use, worker safety, and Arizona's agriculture community.

While the piece was written by a Cronkite journalism student, its widespread publication underscores a deeper problem: activist-driven inaccurate claims slipped through newsrooms without basic fact-checking, verification, or scientific context.

"Arizona farmers take enormous pride in the safety of their workers, their fields, and the food they produce," said Senator Dunn. "Seeing an article built almost entirely from an unvetted activist narrative presented as fact – and circulated statewide – is not just disappointing, it's harmful to the families who feed this country."

The article suggests that farmers apply pesticides "under the cover of darkness." In reality, nighttime applications are a well-established safety practice used because winds are calmer, workers are out of the fields, and pollinators have returned to their hives.

Contrary to the article's claims, pesticide products used in Arizona undergo years of scientific review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which requires extensive toxicology data, environmental studies, and strict worker-protection standards. Licensed applicators and pest control advisers also complete ongoing training and must follow state and federal regulations.

"These farmers operate under some of the toughest safety rules in the world," said Senator Dunn. "The article left that reality out entirely."

The story also cites broad health claims not supported by long-term research, including the federally funded Agriculture Health Study, which has not established the casual links promoted by activist groups.

"Yuma farmers feed millions of American families every winter," said Senator Dunn. "The least the media can do is practice responsible journalism anchored in facts – not activist talking points dressed up as news. It's time newsrooms, and the public institutions training future journalists, did better."

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov