Is the campaign Make American Healthy Again a threat to farming as we know it? Or will the MAHA report be remembered as an overly ambitious government document that packed no legislative punch?
While that answer remains unclear, ag groups are responding as though it’s a legitimate threat.
Officially known as the Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment Summary, the report is a project of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The 78-page report lists the supposed causes for the rise of chronic diseases in children:
- poor diet
- aggregation of environmental chemicals
- lack of physical activity and chronic stress
- “overmedicalization”
For Nos. 1 and 3, few would argue Americans must improve their diet and exercise. But for Nos. 2 and 4, pointing the finger at doctors and chemicals is far from settled science.
The report demonizes seed oils, vilifies approved pesticides and contradicts decades of medical research. It cites no authors or dedicated researchers, just Cabinet members appointed to the unofficial MAHA commission. The entire endeavor took just three months.
How to respond?
To counter the claims, farmers need conclusions based on sound data and input into the decision-making. They can point to piles of evidence showing their crop protection tools are safe.
On the data side, ag groups can bring the science. In refuting the report’s claim that seed oils are a major contributor to childhood obesity and chronic disease, Alan Meadows, American Soybean Association director, cited a 2025 Journal of the American Medical Association study. It found plant-based oils led to a 16% reduction of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other ailments when compared to alternatives high in saturated fat, studying more than 220,000 people for over three decades.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins vows that farmers’ input will be included for the commission’s next report.
While Rollins has the president’s ear, Donald Trump ultimately determines Kennedy’s impact on agriculture.
In May, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall warned that it takes a long time to rebuild public confidence once it is lost. Still, he says it’s not too late for Trump to step in and take control of the MAHA report process.
“The next report that lays out any policy recommendations must be carefully vetted and provide an opportunity for those impacted to offer input,” Duvall said. “That’s not only what farmers expect. That’s good government and that’s how public trust is maintained.”
About 78% of U.S. farmers voted for Trump in 2024, believing he will make agriculture great again. Now, they will find out if Trump really has their back.