Ag groups call for transparency, inclusion after MAHA Report

Hundreds of leading agricultural organizations are demanding a greater voice in federal health policy following the release of the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s controversial report.

In a letter addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, farm groups criticized the report’s lack of transparency, scientific rigor, and public input. The groups argue that the report misrepresents U.S. agriculture and could lead to policy decisions that harm American farmers, drive up food prices, and increase dependence on foreign imports.

The letter, signed by national and state organizations representing millions of farmers, ranchers, and food producers, underscores widespread concern that the MAHA Commission has excluded the agricultural sector from meaningful participation in its work.

Critics say the Commission’s recent report includes factual errors, citations from nonexistent or discredited studies, and unsubstantiated claims that cast doubt on the safety of the American food supply. This, they warn, could deter people from consuming nutritious foods like fresh fruits and vegetables — counteracting the Commission’s own stated health goals.

The signatories are urging the administration to formally include agricultural voices in all future Commission efforts and to open the process to public comment. They emphasize that farmers share the nation’s goal of improving public health and point to decades of progress in sustainable practices, conservation, and efficiency.

“America’s farmers and food producers eagerly share in the goal of making our population healthier,” the letter states, “but we are greatly troubled by the work of the MAHA Commission to date.” The groups argue that correcting the Commission’s course is essential not only for protecting agricultural livelihoods, but also for ensuring policy is guided by “gold-standard science” and real-world expertise.

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