The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission has pulled back on restricting pesticides such as glyphosate in its second report despite criticisms from MAHA supporters, Civil Eats reported.
Published in May, the first MAHA Commission included an assessment of possible drivers of childhood chronic disease – including “chemical exposure” – and included some details of health concerns tied to US agriculture’s use of specific pesticides, like glyphosate, the 9 September report said.
After the first report drew criticism from agriculture industry groups for its mention of pesticide use as harmful, the White House held meetings with many representatives of the sector.
The second report outlines the Trump administration’s overall plan to address chronic disease in children via research and policies enacted across multiple federal agencies.
Its main pesticide policy recommendations are to increase chemical approvals and to build trust in that approval process, rather than restrict chemical use or take a more precautionary approach to safety evaluations, according to Civil Eats.
The focus of the commission, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, was now largely on “reducing” the use of crop protection chemicals rather than taking a hardline restrictive approach, Ag Daily wrote on 9 September.
It outlined how the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) planned to work to reform the approval process for chemical and biologic products to protect against weeds, pests and disease, World Grain wrote on 11 September.
The EPA also planned to work “to ensure that the public has awareness and confidence in EPA’s pesticide robust review procedures and how that relates to the limiting of risk for users and the general public and informs continual improvement”.
The second MAHA report was welcomed by several US agricultural groups including CropLife America (CLA), which represents the US pesticide industry, according to the 11 September World Grain report.
“CropLife America appreciates this administration and the MAHA Commission for inviting feedback and listening to America’s farmers and agriculture industry – and recognising that pesticides are important tools that help farmers grow healthy, affordable and abundant food for American families,” CLA president and CEO Alexandra Dunn was quoted as saying.
American Soybean Association president Caleb Ragland said soyabean farmers welcomed the MAHA Commission’s recognition of the EPA’s approval process as the global gold standard.
However, the report had also drawn criticism for falling short on improved pesticide regulation, Stat News reported on 15 September.
In the report, Dina Akhmetshina, the federal legislative advocate for US PIRG, which advocates for consumers, was quoted as saying the new report lacked the “decisive call to action and the urgency required to protect public health”.
“A more promising aspect of the report is its commitment to expanding education, awareness and accessibility around regenerative agriculture practices and organic farming certification, which could directly lower pesticide use,” she added.
“However, on its own, this initiative will not reduce pesticide exposure quickly enough to safeguard public health.”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had defended pesticides in a press briefing on 9 September saying that “a crop protection tool, such as pesticides, is absolutely essential for America not to compromise our food supply system”.
