Agriculture industry groups are warning that an eagerly anticipated Trump administration report on pesticides could lead to a crackdown with negative consequences for both farmers and consumers.
Lobbyists are planning to “come out swinging” if the “Make America Healthy Again” report, ordered by President Donald Trump in February, targets use of pesticides, said one person granted anonymity to discuss industry concerns. White House officials have been reviewing a draft of the report this week ahead of its release on or before May 24, the person said.
The MAHA commission formed through Trump’s executive order was instructed to draft a report to identify causes of health concerns and chronic illness in the U.S. The report is widely expected to provide an assessment of whether pesticides and other food ingredients are linked to health problems in children.
The industry concerns are heightened by the fact that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — the avatar of the MAHA movement — has long raised concerns about the potential health impact of pesticide and herbicide use in agriculture.
