MAHA Commission Pushes Research to Address Children’s Health

The Make America Healthy Again Commission recommends continued research on the role pesticides and plastics play in development of chronic disease in children and also suggests easing some regulations on farms. 

The final report released Tuesday appears to be almost indistinguishable from the draft that was leaked last month, avoiding any mention of specific pesticides. The first MAHA report, billed as an assessment of the health threats facing children, highlighted the potential health impacts of glyphosate and atrazine.

That angered the ag community, which is worried about the loss of crop protection tools, and caused Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to say that the administration did not want to do anything to hurt farmers.

Kennedy chairs the commission, and Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins is a member.

This time around, the commission recommended research on precision agriculture and said the Environmental Protection Agency, “partnering with food and agricultural stakeholders, will work to ensure that the public has awareness and confidence in EPA’s pesticide robust review procedures and how that relates to the limiting of risk for users and the general public and informs continual improvement.”

The final report also said EPA, USDA and the National Institutes of Health would “develop a research and evaluation framework for cumulative exposure across chemical classes.” The research will focus on the use of non-animal methods, including the use of computational tools.

“Consistent with statutory obligations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Food Quality Protection Act, EPA will focus on pesticides acting through a common mode of action,” the report says.

“The Surgeon General will launch an education and awareness initiative on the impact of alcohol, controlled substances, vaping, and THC on children’s health.” the report says.

On the food side, the report recommends removing restrictions on whole milk sales in schools, “allowing districts to offer full-fat dairy options alongside reduced-fat alternatives.”

The report says EPA and USDA will work with NIH to evaluate water contaminants and “update guidance and prioritizations of certain contaminants appropriately. For example, EPA will review new scientific information on the potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water to inform Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.”

In addition, USDA, “through its Research, Education, and Economics mission area, in consultation with the Farm Production and Conservation mission area, will continue research on ways to improve water quality and adoption of applicable conservation practices. Agency research could also include research to inform the understanding of levels of pharmaceuticals in our water supply that could be adversely affecting animal and human health.”

The report suggests offering some regulatory relief to livestock farms and the produce industry.

For livestock operations, the report says the government should “ensure flexibility for farms to manage manure and process water without triggering industrial-grade permitting requirements and avoiding the forced mandates of costly technologies or practices that do not consider geography, weather, species, and operation size.”

For produce operations, the government should “more clearly define post-harvest rinse and wash water as non-hazardous “ to protect packers and handlers from “unnecessary wastewater treatment burdens.”

Among other recommendations from the report:

• Eliminate mandatory reduced-fat requirements in federal nutrition programs to allow consumer choice.
• Remove barriers preventing small dairy operations from processing and selling their own milk products locally.
• Eliminate zoning restrictions that prevent mobile grocery units from serving food deserts.
• Fast-track permits for grocery stores in underserved areas.
• Work with grocers on sustainable incentive programs that provide fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables.

This article was originally published by Agri-Pulse. Agri-Pulse is a trusted source in Washington, D.C., with the largest editorial team focused on food and farm policy coverage.