The United States uses 20% of the world's glyphosate, herbicides, and pesticides while representing 4% of the world's population.
Posted by The Joe Rogan Experience, Checked
- Sources
- 1 contradict2 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 55%
The Joe Rogan ExperienceNov 6, 2026
The claim drops the hedge 'by some measures' that the post used, and sources give partly overlapping figures: a USDA-style EPA/Kline-based source puts U.S. share of world herbicide expenditures at 21% in 2012 and about 23% of total pesticide pounds (25% of herbicide pounds) on average 2008-2012, while Benbrook 2016 puts U.S.
A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… We have the highest rates among kids of any society in human history. So, you know, I definitely think that solving that was a major voter promise. You know, obviously, what we're spraying on our food is very important, and the United States, we're 4% of the world's population. By some measures, we use 20% of the world's glyphosate and herbicides and pesticides, so our system is addicted to these chemicals. It's also interesting to me, when you look at us versus other countries, we actually spend half as much of our national income on food than Europe. …
The Joe Rogan Experience · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. The same EPA-based data put U.S. share of world pesticide expenditures at 16-18% and insecticide and fungicide shares far lower (14% and 10%), so the 20% figure does not hold across all pesticides combined.[1]
Supports. EPA-cited market estimates put U.S. share of world herbicide expenditures at 21% in 2012 and average U.S. share of worldwide herbicide pounds applied at about 25% over 2008-2012, consistent with roughly 20% for herbicides.[1]
Supports. Benbrook's analysis finds the U.S. accounted for 19% of estimated global glyphosate use from 1974-2014, close to the claimed 20%.[2][3]
Context. No source addresses the claim's 4% share of world population, and the post itself hedged the 20% figure as 'by some measures'.[4]
Sources
4 sources: 3 primary, 1 not rated
- 1Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage 2008 - 2012 Market Estimatesnepis.epa.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, supports
- 2Trends in glyphosate herbicide use in the United States and globally - PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 3Third Biofuels Report to Congress | HEROhero.epa.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4United States: Why does the United States use so much (JRE #2578) | Smash Notessmashnotes.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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