MAHA’s Food Agenda Undermined By Trump Administration Policies

The Make America Healthy Again movement’s food agenda, spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is being undermined by certain Trump administration policies. Environmental contaminants in agriculture identified by MAHA as detrimental to the food supply have largely been deregulated. And budget cuts affect the ability of low-resourced people to afford a MAHA-recommended diet.

The Department of Health and Human Services is funding multiple programs that aim to reverse what Secretary Kennedy calls the “chronic disease epidemic,” as it consolidated entities housed under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into the Administration for a Healthy America, namely the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. AHA is called the “primary federal agency committed to transforming the health of all Americans by addressing the root causes of chronic disease, promoting preventive care, advancing mental health and substance use services, and increasing access to a healthy environment and foods.”

The first MAHA Commission report released last year identified multiple drivers of childhood chronic disease, including poor diet and the shift over time to ultra-processed foods, dyes in food products, but also overuse of pesticides in agriculture and a cumulative overload of chemicals in the environment. The document offers a potpourri of high-level policy recommendations to counter these trends.

While several dyes have been removed or are scheduled for removal and the deleterious effects of ultra-processed foods are emphasized in the updated United States dietary guidelines, pesticides and other contaminants have mostly been deregulated.

The deregulation of environmental hazards in agriculture goes against what Kennedy said at a campaign rally in 2024, following his endorsement of then candidate President Trump, when he asked the crowd, “don’t you want to know that the food that you’re feeding them is not filled with chemicals that are going to give them cancer and chronic disease?”

Glyphosate is one such chemical that Kennedy has long criticized the use of. It’s a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide sprayed on crops. Glyphosate is cited in the MAHA report as a major contributor in the rise of chronic disease. It’s a substance that may cause serious health problems, including cancer.

There’s been considerable tension between MAHA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over the continued widespread use and production of glyphosate. Specifically, on food safety, MAHA objectives appear at odds with EPA director Zeldin’s decisions related to glyphosate. Zeldin doesn’t want to further regulate the herbicide.

The EPA and the Justice Department also sided with the manufacturer Bayer in a Supreme Court case that could shield pesticide manufacturers from future liability related to Roundup, which was originally formulated with glyphosate as its primary active ingredient. [Beginning in 2024, Bayer introduced new Roundup formulations for consumer use that do not contain glyphosate.]

Also, President Trump signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to mandate domestic production of glyphosate, citing “national security and supply chain vulnerabilities.” Surprisingly, Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy defended this as a “defense readiness” measure.

This said, the EPA is conducting a scientific review of the chemical’s cancer-causing potential. Director Zeldin has vowed not to interfere in the safety review. And the EPA has shown a willingness to engage with MAHA activists who want stricter regulations on an assortment of chemicals.

But in terms of actual departmental actions the EPA has consistently maintained a pro-business, deregulation-focused agenda. The EPA has in fact aggressively rolled back a wide range of environmental and pollution regulations as well as federal oversight.

And while the MAHA report makes references to food standards in Europe that prohibit the use of certain pesticides in agriculture, Zeldin has argued that European-style mandates would stifle economic growth.

Further, despite the MAHA report raising concerns about American agricultural products, other Trump cabinet officials at both the EPA and U.S. Department of Agriculture insist that the nation’s food supply is safe.

Problems extend beyond inconsistencies in perspectives and environmental policies between the departments. There’s also a mismatch between MAHA talking points on nutrition and whether people can afford a MAHA-inspired diet, particularly vulnerable demographics.

Kennedy’s HHS has focused on eating what he calls real food or whole, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods that are free from excessive processing, additives and sugars. The updated U.S. dietary guidelines reflect this approach to nutrition, as well as a protein-rich diet that prioritizes animal sources such as red meat over plant-based items.

Aside from the controversies surrounding the guidelines, large reductions in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps) and reduced benefits in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children make it harder for low-income people to access quality food. Kennedy has expressed his discontent about the budget cuts, saying he’s “not happy” about them.

And so, though MAHA’s food agenda still features prominently, in practice achieving its goals is being made increasingly difficult by a number of Trump administration policies.