MAHA strategy: a step in the right direction for Indiana farmers

Indiana corn and soybean farmers have proven time after time that they are part of the solution and that burdensome regulations hinder their ability to grow healthy food, fuel, and fiber while taking care of the land.

That’s why the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership and Policy Committee (ISA M&P) are pleased to see the progress that was made in the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s latest recommendations to address childhood chronic disease.   

The recommendations are an improvement over the commission’s earlier report that had zeroed in on key pesticides that have been shown to be safe for their intended uses.   
  
“This outcome is a testament to the power of advocacy,” said ICGA President Chris Cherry. “Farmers have been working to ensure the recommendations are science-based and not an ill-conceived attempt to restrict our tools.” 

Soybean farmers are also recognizing the important steps the MAHA Strategy takes to support agriculture by recognizing the rigorous, science-based pesticide approval process at the Environmental Protection Agency, a welcome shift from the more critical tone in the earlier Report.

“Healthy and safe food choices are always what we intend to produce as growers,” said ISA M&P Committee Chair Brian Warpup. “We have worked for decades within the restrictions and safety guidelines of multiple government agencies to attain that goal.”

ISA M&P, through the American Soybean Association, will continue to monitor any reports or regulations that could restrict domestic demand for soybean oil. Soybean oil and protein provide science-based solutions to help address chronic health challenges facing Americans.

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that higher intake of plant-based oils was associated with 16% lower total, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality. Among the seed oils analyzed in the study, soybean oil provided substantial health benefits when substituted for butter.

Advocacy matters

Farmers became concerned in May when the commission, working under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released an initial assessment specifically naming glyphosate and atrazine as pesticides that required additional evaluation.   

The advocacy effort around this issue was impressive. The Indiana Corn Growers Association, along with the National Corn Growers Association, launched a campaign to ensure that these key pesticides were not restricted. Corn grower advocates met with Trump administration officials, members of Congress and took their message to the media.   

“When we work together, we are able to accomplish the priorities necessary to help Indiana corn and soybean farmers,” Cherry said.

After the release of the MAHA report in May, ASA said it appreciated that the Commission engaged with agricultural stakeholders while developing the strategy. During that time, ASA met with MAHA Commission staff several times and provided a formal list of recommendations.  

“Being able to have a voice to ensure that misinformation does not negatively impact producers, was key in this strategy,” Warpup said.

The organizations will continue to monitor any changes.