The Hagstrom Report | MAHA Reactions Show Kennedy’s Friends, Critics

The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again Commission report issued Thursday generated reactions from agricultural and food leaders that demonstrated the nontraditional alliances that back and criticize the movement led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Angela Huffman, the president of Farm Action, a group critical of concentration and consolidation in agriculture, said, “This report represents our hopes being met when we endorsed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary, because we felt he could have great influence on reforming our food and agriculture system to the benefit of farmers and everyone else.”

“From taking a critical look at the dangerous impacts of food system consolidation to examining the ways farmers are being squeezed, the report rightly points out how federal and state policy has often been guided more by corporate profit than the public interest,” Huffman said.

“It also highlights the way that government programs like crop insurance and subsidies prioritize commodity crops and neglect producers of nutritious foods. This report marks the first time we’ve seen the government bring these issues to the forefront in a coordinated, hard-hitting way.

“As a farmer-led organization working to bring awareness to these issues every day, Farm Action looks forward to working with the administration on a forthcoming strategy to address the report’s findings,” Huffman said.

Rob Larew, president of the Democratic-leaning National  Farmers Union, said, “The report rightly highlights the threat of corporate consolidation in our food and agriculture system.”

“As small and mid-sized farmers are pushed out, diversity in farming, local food systems and rural economies decline. Improving health outcomes must go hand-in-hand with restoring fairness and competition. We stand ready to work with the administration on meaningful solutions to this long-standing issue.”

But Larew added, “Disregarding the expertise of respected regulatory bodies and leaving farmers out of the conversation undermines public trust and puts the future of American agriculture and rural economies at risk.”

Zippy Duvall, president of the Republican-leaning American Farm Bureau Federation, said, “It is deeply troubling for the White House to endorse a report that sows seeds of doubt and fear about our food system and farming practices, then attempts to celebrate farmers and the critical role they play in producing the safest food supply in the world.”

“Farmers are identified as ‘critical partners,’ yet were excluded from development of the report, despite many requests for a seat at the table,” Duvall said.

“The report also expresses a desire to ensure farmers continue to thrive, but undermining confidence in our food system directly contradicts that noble goal. The report spotlights outlier studies and presents unproven theories that feed a false narrative and only then does it acknowledge a mountain of evidence about the safety of our food system,” Duvall said.

“We suspect USDA had a prominent role in the report’s recognition that farmers are the critical first step in the food system, but as a whole, the report falls short. The American people were promised transparency yet presented with a report developed in secret.

“As a farmer myself, I can confidently say that farmers and ranchers share the goal of improving health outcomes in America. They’re dedicated to continuous improvement, guided by sound science and technological advances.

“We are carefully examining the nearly 70 pages of contradictory assertions and look forward to further discussions with administration officials,” Duvall said.

“President Trump has voiced his trust in farmers many times and we urge him to ensure a transparent process going forward with farmers at the table and sound science — not emotionally charged rhetoric — guiding the conversation.”

The most scathing statement came from Center for Science in the Public Interest President Peter Lurie.

“As we feared, the report of the MAHA Commission selectively cherry-picks the literature to support the idiosyncratic biases of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” Lurie said.

“Rather than focusing on the root causes and well-studied solutions to chronic disease, the report recycles Secretary Kennedy’s long-standing pet peeves, from vaccines to seed oils to lack of exposure to sunlight.

“In many instances, even when the report has a good idea, like increasing consumption of whole, unprocessed foods, the remedies suggested are at odds with efforts of Kennedy, [President] Trump, [Elon] Musk, and Republicans in Congress to decimate and federal workforce and government spending.

“How is the American diet to improve when Republicans are hell-bent on cutting SNAP benefits, slashing school meals, ripping millions of Americans from their health insurance coverage, withdrawing proposed rules that would reduce foodborne Salmonella, and laying off food inspectors?

“The administration has slashed programs to bring local food into schools, eviscerated government funding for research on nutrition and health, eliminated the office responsible for stopping lead poisoning in children, and are threatening access to life-saving vaccines.

“We appreciate Secretary Kennedy’s interest in things like synthetic food dyes and aspartame — which, to be clear, we’d be better off without — and his concern over ultra-processed foods may be well intended,” Lurie said.

“If he wants to address ultra-processed foods, proposed rules on front-of-package labeling and sodium reduction are in the Federal Register awaiting his signature (both proposals go unmentioned in this report). But while Americans are consuming too much soda and other ultra-processed junk foods, this administration is actively working to push healthy foods out of reach for millions of people. Who wants to take nutrition advice from someone who’s trying to take food out of your mouth?

“Kennedy and Trump are pushing policies that will make Americans sicker, hungrier, and more at risk from unsafe food. At this moment, that is the true risk to children’s health,” Lurie said.

In a report from the White House event, Helena Bottemiller Evich of Food Fix said that Trump administration officials fought over language in the bill, which may have softened some criticism.

Bottemiller Evich noted that the report did not use the word “poison” but that after the report was released, Kennedy went on CNN and was much more frank in an interview with Kaitlan Collins:

“Processed foods are poison,” he said. The secretary then shared the clip on X. 

Bottemiller Evich also noted that Trump called the Make America Healthy Again movement “hot,” a reflection of the view that Kennedy’s MAHA supporters put Trump over the top in the 2024 election and that Republicans want to maintain the movement’s support in 2026. 

The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives said, “We have serious concerns over the assessment’s allegations about pesticides.”

“The report includes statements that do not reflect the wealth of evidence developed over decades by federal agencies such as the EPA and USDA on the safety of crop inputs and food production methods. These institutions have consistently reaffirmed the safety and efficacy of the systems that help feed our country and the world.”

NCFC added it urges the commission “to recognize that many forms of fruit and vegetables, including frozen, dried, and canned, confer the same benefits.”

“As this process moves forward, we hope future discussions will be more transparent, balanced, and inclusive of the full scope of facts and perspectives that define American agriculture,” NCFC said.

The American Seed Trade Association said, “The U.S. agricultural community does not deserve the aspersions of the MAHA Commission Report, calling into question, with limited scientific evidence, the history of safe crop protection use in fields, and history of safe use in our food supply.”

“Crop protection tools are the solution, not the problem, to inflationary costs for American farmers, and the families that rely on them as a food source. The American Seed Trade Association firmly stands behind the U.S. regulatory system’s science-based, risk-based approach, which ensures the safe use of pesticides and other key production tools, safeguarding our food supply, and we support the integrity of American-grown agricultural products in the global marketplace.”

After the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association issued negative statements on Thursday, National Association of Wheat Growers President Pat Clements followed up, saying “NAWG is deeply concerned with the content and implications of the MAHA Commission’s report.”

“Throughout the process, NAWG and other agricultural stakeholders have worked in good faith to provide the commission with accurate, science-based information about modern food production practices in the United States.

“Wheat growers are proud stewards of the land and are committed to producing safe, healthy food for families here at home and around the world,” NAWG said.

“Unfortunately, the report contains misleading claims that could undermine public trust in our nation’s food system.”

“We urge the Trump administration to ensure that the MAHA Commission’s future work is guided by sound science and peer-reviewed research. American consumers deserve facts — not fear — when it comes to how their food is grown and produced.”

National Sorghum Producers Chair Amy France, a farmer from Scott City, Kan., said that farmers “rely on crop protection tools that have undergone extensive scientific study and are used responsibly to protect both our farms and our families.”

“It’s disappointing that the report casts doubt on these products despite clear scientific proof of their safety,” France said.

“The White House’s endorsement of a report that undermines confidence in the EPA and USDA regulatory system is deeply concerning,” added former Chair Craig Meeker, a farmer from Wellington, Kan.

“This kind of messaging drives fear, not facts and it plays right into the hands of trial lawyers looking to profit. It risks driving up food costs and taking away safe, effective tools that have been rigorously reviewed by both Republican and Democratic administrations for more than 50 years. We urge President Trump to include farmers in future discussions.” 

NSP said it “encourages the commission, as it continues in its work, to focus on sound and repeatable scientific data and studies to drive its actions and stands ready to support them in this endeavor.”

The National Cotton Council said, “The U.S. cotton industry is disappointed with the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s report. Over the decades, the Environmental Protection Agency has subjected pesticides to rigorous review and eliminated those that were deemed unsafe. Our current products have been tested and re-tested to protect the farmer, the environment, and the consumer.

“Cotton producers have made significant strides in conscientious pesticide usage,” said cotton producer and NCC Chairman Patrick Johnson. “Crop protection tools such as glyphosate are vital for the continued sustainability of family farms here in the U.S.”

Regarding the report’s comments on microplastics, Johnson added “Cotton growers produce a natural fiber that is a healthy alternative to synthetic microfibers such as polyester. It is unfortunate that the commission focused more on products that are known to be safe rather than on hazards such as microplastics, shed from synthetic clothing, that our children breathe.

“We urge U.S. agencies to continue to allow sound science to guide future policy decisions, and America’s cotton industry needs a seat at the table in this effort going forward,” Johnson said.

The International Fresh Produce Association said, “With nine in 10 Americans not meeting fruit and vegetable consumption targets and up to half of children under age five not consuming a vegetable daily, the commission must focus on evidence-based interventions that will increase fruit and vegetable consumption and support policies that ensure the prosperity of U.S. growers who dutifully provide an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables for Americans every day.”

“While the fresh sector has long called for improvements to nutrition policy, we also encourage the commission to recognize where there has been success,” IFPA said.

“As acknowledged in the report, the WIC [Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children] program has proven effective in improving health outcomes, largely due to its fruit and vegetable benefits.

“Additionally, the National School Lunch Program provides a daily fruit and vegetable to the 30 million students who participate and rely on this meal daily. As a result, school lunch is the healthiest meal most children — regardless of socio-economic status — will eat during their day. 

“The report’s focus on the practices and scale of food production, while inclusive of many opinions, includes some questionable assertions, some contrary to federal regulatory findings, and conflicting claims that could confuse Americans about the safety of their food,” IFPA said.

“In its following report, we hope the commission will collaborate more closely with farmers and producers to make recommendations that ensure the United States remains the world’s gold standard of risk-based, data-driven scientific decision-making, founded on transparency, public-private research and innovation.”

International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes said, “We appreciate that the commission’s assessment recognizes the many positive health outcomes associated with dairy products and highlights the role of improving health through dairy incentives in SNAP.”

“As the MAHA Commission develops its strategy to tackle childhood chronic disease, we urge the commission to embrace sound science and evidence throughout, and to continue to work with IDFA and our dairy industry partners to build a healthier future for all children,” Dykes said.

National Pork Producers Council President Duane Stateler, a pork producer from McComb, Ohio, criticized the effort for not including farmers in the process.

“Efforts that not only exclude agriculture’s input, but also undermine the work of farmers serving our nation, are misguided and detrimental to all who care about facts and truth. Inflammatory rhetoric and distortions, meant to galvanize attention to achieve particular ideological outcomes, are harmful and undermine the world-class safety and reliability of the American food system,” Stateler said.

“We urge President Trump to support America’s farmers, who use modern practices to feed 98% of the population. We implore this administration to ensure farmers have a seat at the table when discussions and decisions impacting our livelihoods are made.”

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane said, “Beef is a whole, unprocessed source of protein and many other valuable nutrients, and the MAHA Commission’s report recognized that.”

The American Frozen Food Institute said “The MAHA Commission underscores the urgency of expanding access to nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables and balanced meals, and AFFI highlights that frozen foods offer valuable solutions.”

AFFI said it urges “the inclusion of all forms of wholesome food, including frozen,” in all federal nutrition programs.

The group said “the Supporting All Healthy Options When Purchasing Produce Act (S.813, H.R. 1782) would ensure the inclusion of frozen fruits and vegetables in nutrition incentive programs, which encourage healthy eating by making nutrient dense foods more accessible and affordable.”

FMI-The Food Industry Organization Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher said, “We believe the MAHA Commission’s initial assessment serves as a formal invitation for a conversation with the administration; it’s a conversation that recognizes the power of public-private partnerships in helping consumers make informed food choices from among the 32,000 options available to them when shopping in the average grocery store.”

“FMI members have always been part of the solution, and we will advocate for realistic policies that are grounded in science, nutrition and consumer needs,” Hatcher said.

Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology President and CEO Terry Kipley said, “We can all agree that improving children’s health is a priority. But that effort must be guided by sound science. When we blur the line between real risks and unfounded fear, we undermine the very tools that help farmers grow the safe, affordable food families depend on. Crop protection tools are essential to public health and food security. Without them, crop losses would increase, food prices would rise, and access to fresh fruits and vegetables would decline.”

CPDA urged the administration “to reject the report’s unsubstantiated conclusions and reassert its commitment to science-based policy.”