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May 29, 2025 |  By: Gavin McGough

New study aims to understand relationship of agriculture industry and high cancer rates

Iowa farm land

© 2025 Iowa Soybean Association

Iowa has amongst the highest cancer rates in the nation, and a new study aims to understand the potential relationship between the state's agricultural industry and those high rates. The Iowa Cancer Registry does not list the state's high level of agricultural activity as a cancer risk factor. Adam Shriver, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Harkin Institute, says studies have not looked at the issue. 

"Even though there are lots of groups talking about studying the high cancer rates, there is some groups that want to limit what we are looking at when we are having these conversations.", says Elkadi. 

With its latest study, the Harkin Institute, a research group based at Drake University, plans to change that. It is conducintg the study alongside the Iowa Environmental Council; the effort is funded by the Walton Foundation. The study will analyze existing research for possible clues about how factory farming practices, row crops, and contaminants related to agricultural production could be impacting the state's cancer rates. The study could turn up initial findings by this fall.