The MAHA commission released its much-anticipated report this week, outlining a series of proposals to boost sustainable farming and support for smaller and organic growers, emphasizing the role farmers play in promoting health outcomes for citizens.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced the creation of the MAHA commission, which includes Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) serving as the group’s chair, with other cabinet members like Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins serving as a member of the commission.
The MAHA commission was instructed to work “with farmers to ensure that United States food is the healthiest, most abundant, and most affordable in the world,” according to a release.
The MAHA commission issued its report on Sept. 9, which is designed to spur discussion among government agencies and industry stakeholders. The 73-page report outlines 128 recommendations for food and ag policy and touches on a range of topics from synthetic ag chemicals to the role farmers play in promoting health.
Has RFK Jr. softened his stance on synthetic crop inputs?
RFK Jr. appeared to walk back his previous stance on restricting the use of synthetic fertilisers in the report. In his contentious Senate confirmation hearing, RFK Jr. argued against the use of synthetic fertilisers for its role in depleting soil health and for the embrace of regenerative agriculture practices, like no-tilling, while acknowledging the “very narrow margins” farmers operate under, as previously reported on AgTechNavigator.
In the report, the federal government did not find a direct link between proper use of several popular herbicides and health impacts, following a review of epidemiologic data. However, the U.S. government expects to make an updated health assessment on popular herbicides next year, according to the MAHA report.
The Modern Ag Alliance — a group representing 100 agricultural organizations across the U.S. with a focus on ensuring farmers have access to crop protection tools — commended the MAHA commission for not restricting crop protection inputs but called the group out for advancing what it sees as misconceptions about pesticides and their safety, the organization shared in a press release.
“To prevent harmful policy changes in the future, it is essential for policymakers in Washington and around the country to support sound scientific standards that are based on real-world risk. If farmers lose access to crop protection products because of misguided ideological agendas, U.S. agriculture would be upended, potentially forcing many family farms to shut down and driving up food costs for every American,” Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, executive director of the Modern Ag Alliance, said in a press release.
Farmers rely on crop protection products to reduce costs, and fertilisers and herbicides are backed by science, the Modern Ag Alliance stated.
However, activist group the Environmental Working Group (EWG) argued that RFK Jr. is backpedaling on his promises and parroting the pesticide industry’s talking points, the group shared in a statement.
“It looks like pesticide industry lobbyists steamrolled the MAHA Commission’s agenda. Secretary Kennedy and President Trump cynically convinced millions they’d protect children from harmful farm chemicals — promises now exposed as hollow,” Ken Cook, EWG co-founder and president, said in a press release.
Should farmers be at the forefront of health policy?
Among the other recommendations, the MAHA report advocates for more federal support for specialty crop growers, since traditional field crop farmers (corn, soybean, and wheat) receive most of the federal crop insurance dollars. Additionally, the report suggested rolling back Food Safety Modernization Act regulations, so smaller food producers and farmers do not have to deal with “burdensome paperwork” and expenses from the law.
As part of the MAHA initiative, the USDA outlined a series of regulation changes that the agency would like to implement, including improving the process for organic certification, removing barriers to farm-to-school programs and direct-to-consumer sales, and approving agricultural innovations faster, the agency shared in a press release.
The MAHA report also elevated the role farmers have in reversing worsening health outcomes in the US, stating that “the greatest step the United States can take to reverse childhood chronic disease is to put whole foods produced by American farmers and ranchers at the center of healthcare.”
“America’s farmers and ranchers are at the heart of the solution — alongside doctors, parents, and communities — to fight chronic disease and protect future generations. Under this administration, we are not just talking about healthy outcomes; we are delivering them by securing voluntary commitments to remove artificial food dye from major brands, providing technical assistance to states interested in restricting junk food and soda from [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program], and providing growers with new tools to maintain and improve soil health, including the introduction of a regenerative farming practice pilot program,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollin shared in a press release.
Critics of the report say the MAHA commission does not provide enough details on how the Trump administration plans to make these changes and others.
