The Shawn Ryan Show – Episode #290

Guest: Zach Lahn

Episode Title: Inside America’s Cancer-Causing Chemical Problem
Release Date: March 23, 2026

Overview

Main Theme:
This episode dives deep into the crisis facing American agriculture, specifically through the lens of Iowa's farming community, focusing on farm consolidation, the loss of family farms, institutional corruption, and a stark discussion of cancer-causing agrochemicals like glyphosate and paraquat. Zach Lahn, a sixth-generation Iowan, regenerative farmer, and candidate for governor, joins Shawn Ryan for a frank, fiery conversation about government capture, industry malfeasance, and the cultural battle to save rural America and public health.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of American Farming

• Aging Farmer Demographic

  • The average US farmer is nearly 58 years old, with only 296,489 producers under 35 nationwide. (01:06–02:02)
  • Iowa’s population of young farmers is dwindling due to financial barriers, monopolization, and lack of opportunity.

• Right to Repair and Corporate Control

  • Big Agriculture's repair restrictions on farm equipment, e.g., John Deere, are stripping autonomy from farmers, sparking antitrust lawsuits (01:06–02:36).
  • “They're doing this on purpose... Every politician I've ever met has said, we have to support farmers, and everything's gotten worse for the actual producer.” – Zach Lahn (02:36)

• Farm Consolidation and Loss of Local Ownership

  • 100,000 family farms lost in a decade; 25% of Iowa farmland owned by out-of-state investors (03:33–04:31).
  • “Our rural communities in Iowa, in the Midwest, they're on life support.” – ZL (04:31)
  • Corporate powers and financial institutions consolidate land and drive out young, local producers.

• Food and Land Use Distortions

  • Nearly all acreage in Iowa produces commodities (ethanol, animal feed) rather than food for direct human consumption; only 0.03% of acres do (06:53).

2. Personal & Historical Perspective

• Family Legacy and Farm Restoration

  • Zach details his family’s multi-generational journey, loss, and eventual reacquisition and restoration of their farm as an act of cultural preservation (09:45–15:27).
  • “I really want my children to understand their story... These things truly matter, that we don't forget where we came from.” – ZL (15:12)

• Stewardship and Faith

  • Faith and stewardship principles drive his activism; respect for land and community over profit is a core theme (33:16–36:10).

3. Institutional Capture & Political Corruption

• Big Ag's Influence

  • Agribusiness has spent $1.5 billion on lobbying in 10 years, reaping $150 billion in profits, while farmers suffer shrinking margins and loss of sovereignty (02:36; 19:39–25:28).
  • “Safe products don't need immunity from liability, full stop.” – ZL (24:10)
  • Companies like Bayer and Syngenta manipulate policy and oversight, hiding risks and securing legal immunity for their products.

• Agency Failure & Legislative Gaslighting

  • Regulatory agencies (EPA, USDA) are described as “captured,” failing to protect public health (28:55).
  • Example: The same toxic Roundup banned in the EU is still used in the U.S.—Monsanto reformulated only for the EU.

4. Agrochemicals and Health Crisis

• Glyphosate, Paraquat, and Water Contamination

  • Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide; U.S. formulation far more toxic than EU version (28:55–31:07).
  • Internal documents show companies know the U.S. version is more dangerous but fail to act.
  • Paraquat remains legal in the U.S. despite being used to induce Parkinson’s in lab animals and being banned in China and 50 other nations.

• Cancer Epidemic Connected to Agricultural Practices

  • Iowa now sees the fastest rise of new cancer cases in the world.
    • “In Iowa... we have the fastest rate of new cancer in the history of civilization, and our kids are leaving our state faster than 46 other states.” – ZL (74:33–76:16)
    • Wells routinely show 6–9 ag chemicals; the Des Moines water system is the world’s largest nitrate removal system and still struggles to keep up (117:39).
  • Agencies allow industry-driven “tolerance levels” for residues, often increased by thousands of percent at corporate request (94:00–98:13).
    • “They lobbied and got a 20,000% increase.” – ZL on allowable glyphosate in oats (97:23)

5. Political Cynicism, Independence, and Solutions

• Voter Disillusionment

  • Host and guest both skeptical (often profanely) about the integrity of DC, both parties, and the effectiveness of voting alone to correct institutional rot (19:15–21:38).
    • “Fucking vote isn't gonna fix this shit.” – SR (21:48)
    • “Our country's run by unelected people and we don't know who they are.” – ZL (37:49)

• States’ Rights and Local Sovereignty

  • Push for strong governors to prioritize state welfare over federal mandates; sue federal government, if necessary, to regain control (44:19–48:22).

• Regenerative Farming and Community First

  • Emphasis on regenerative practices, supporting young and small farmers, restricting foreign and corporate land ownership, and restoring cultural identity—“Iowa First” as a counter to globalist/profit-driven models (57:50–60:02).
    • “I'm going to choose community values over shareholder value every day.” – ZL (126:50)

6. Notable Moments & Calls to Action

• Connecting Chemicals and Disease

  • Visual maps presented showing overlap between glyphosate usage and cancer rates in Iowa (100:25–108:22).
    • “Concentration of glyphosate. Highest concentration of cancer.” – SR (108:25)

• Executive Immunity for Pesticide Producers

  • Discussion on Trump's Defense Production Act order giving Bayer (maker of glyphosate) sweeping legal immunity as a “national security” measure (99:12–104:22).
    • “There's only pending lawsuits of Americans who have been harmed by this product. This must be reversed.” – ZL (104:12)

• Local Political Action

  • Lahn pledges to sue the federal government, refuses to accept Big Ag money, and calls for citizen activism to demand accountability and policy change (48:22–55:14).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They're doing this on purpose. And what I mean by that is that... everything's gotten worse for the actual producer.”
  — Zach Lahn (02:36)
• “Safe products don't need immunity from liability, full stop.”
  — Zach Lahn (24:10)
• “I really want my children to understand their story... These things truly matter, that we don't forget where we came from.”
  — Zach Lahn (15:12)
• “0.03% of our acres out of 24 million acres... is used to produce any food that will end up on your plate in its original form.”
  — Zach Lahn (06:53)
• “Cancer isn't even an organic disease, so it would have to be caused by something that's not organic to earth.”
  — Sean Ryan (81:48)
• “There are only pending lawsuits of Americans who have been harmed by this product. This must be reversed.”
  — Zach Lahn on glyphosate immunity (104:12)
• “If your kids are leaving and your people are dying, you're not winning. That's not winning.”
  — Zach Lahn (74:33–76:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Farming Demographics, Right to Repair & Corporate Influence: 01:06–04:31
• Farm Consolidation & Out-of-State Ownership: 04:31–07:09
• Food Commodities vs. Human Food; Iowa’s Usage: 06:53–09:44
• Lahn’s Family History & Farm Restoration: 09:44–15:27
• Lobbying, Monopolies, and Loss of Family Farms: 19:39–25:28
• EPA, Agency Capture, and Chemical Reformulation: 28:55–34:15
• Foreign-owned Ag Companies and Iowa’s Tax Credits: 40:15–42:54
• Data Centers on Farmland, Property Tax Abatement: 51:41–55:14
• Cancer, Water, and Health Crisis (Iowa as Epicenter): 74:12–81:48; 117:39–122:13
• Glyphosate Deep Dive, Regulatory Capture: 84:00–94:02
• Preference for Community over Shareholder Value: 126:41–126:50
• Maps: Glyphosate Use vs. Cancer Rates: 100:25–108:22

Tone and Language

The conversation is candid, often impassioned, with strong language and a sense of urgency (“It's completely fucking gone. Look, it's gone.” – SR [37:13]; “It's a choice to believe the lie...” – ZL [112:12]). Both speakers express genuine frustration, skepticism towards government and corporate actors, and a resolute faith in local action and cultural identity as the solution.

Conclusion

Zach Lahn paints a dire, data-driven portrait of systemic failure—where family farms, rural culture, and public health are under assault by corporate monopolies, bought-and-paid-for legislators, and corrupt regulatory agencies. Solutions are rooted in local action, cultural renewal, and returning power to communities:
“We need people to focus on the big issues. And that's the reason I'm running.” – ZL (76:16)

If you care about where your food and water come from—or the links between chemical agriculture and cancer—this episode is essential listening, cutting through political noise with actionable urgency and a clear moral challenge.