{"id":2462240,"date":"2025-07-16T05:22:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T09:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/farming-lobbyists-fight-to-keep-pesticides-in-food-amid-maha-push\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T05:25:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T09:25:14","slug":"farming-lobbyists-fight-to-keep-pesticides-in-food-amid-maha-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/farming-lobbyists-fight-to-keep-pesticides-in-food-amid-maha-push\/","title":{"rendered":"Farming lobbyists fight to keep pesticides in food amid MAHA push"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffarming-lobbyists-fight-to-keep-pesticides-in-food-amid-maha-push%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2462240&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the agricultural industry&#8217;s strong lobbying efforts to maintain the use of pesticides in food production following the release of a critical report by the make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. The MAHA report, ordered by former president Donald Trump, highlights health risks linked to herbicide exposure, including reproductive issues, developmental disorders, and cancers. in response, major farming groups, including the National Corn growers Association (NCGA), have actively engaged with congress and federal agencies to oppose potential pesticide restrictions. They argue that pesticides are essential for producing affordable and abundant food and warn that new regulations could increase costs for farmers and consumers. The article also notes the appointment of Kyle Kunkler,a pro-pesticide lobbyist with a history of supporting agricultural chemicals,to a key EPA pesticides regulatory position,indicating continued industry influence in policy decisions. The piece emphasizes the ongoing tension between public health concerns raised by the MAHA Commission and the agricultural sector&#8217;s defense of pesticide use.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Farming lobbyists fight to keep pesticides in food amid MAHA push<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2134897\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Heavyweights in the agricultural industry are lobbying for the continued use of pesticides in crop production after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maha\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Make America Healthy Again<\/a> Commission released a report targeting pesticide usage.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WH-The-MAHA-Report-Assessment.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">report<\/a>, issued at the direction of President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/public-inspection.federalregister.gov\/2025-02871.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">via executive order<\/a>, raises concerns about the safety of these chemicals, commonly used for farming. Titled the &ldquo;Make Our Children Healthy Again&rdquo; assessment, the report cites <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40344873\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">several<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30894343\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">studies<\/a> that found that herbicide exposure can cause harmful health effects ranging from reproductive and developmental disorders to cancers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3472288\/epa-zeldin-streamlining-permitting-essential-winning-ai-race\/\">EPA&#8217;s Zeldin says streamlining permitting is essential for winning AI race<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3471073\/florida-ag-uthmeier-cloud-seeding-texas-floods\/\">Florida AG floats &#8216;cloud seeding&#8217; weather modification theory after deadly Texas floods<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3470672\/deer-creek-fire-utah-colorado-border\/\">Deer Creek Fire on Utah-Colorado border engulfs more than 10,000 acres, remains 0% contained<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The MAHA Commission is scheduled to submit a strategy plan to Trump in August based on the assessment&rsquo;s findings.<\/p>\n<p>MAHA&rsquo;s imminent crackdown on environmental chemicals has certain <a href=\"https:\/\/ncga.com\/stay-informed\/media\/in-the-news\/article\/2025\/05\/corn-growers-deeply-troubled-by-maha-report-release\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">&ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-wyoming-election-chief-sounds-alarm-on-zuckbucks-threat\/\" title=\"Exclusive: Wyoming Election Chief Sounds Alarm on &#039;Zuckbucks&#039; Threat\">deeply troubled&#038;rdquo<\/a>;<\/a> agricultural groups contacting Congress directly to plead their case for pesticides.<\/p>\n<p>The National Corn Growers Association&nbsp;is in the nation&rsquo;s capital this week to meet with around 150 congressional offices and senior Trump administration officials at the United States Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/politico-influence\/2025\/07\/14\/a-big-lobbying-merger-00452510\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according to <em>POLITICO Influence<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Farmers from more than two dozen states will reportedly rally behind pesticides as part of the lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. The arrival of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-panel-rejects-duties-on-fertilizers-from-russia-trinidad-and-tobago\/\" title=\"U.S. panel rejects duties on fertilizers from Russia, Trinidad and Tobago\">corn growers<\/a> from across the country on Capitol Hill coincides with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agri-pulse.com\/events\/1044-ncga-s-corn-congress-and-fly-in-washington-dc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">NCGA&rsquo;s bi-annual Corn Congress<\/a>, marketed as a key event for farmers to nurture legislative relationships. While in town, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ncga.com\/stay-informed\/media\/editorials\/article\/2025\/07\/corn-growers-need-to-make-their-voices-heard-on-policy-priorities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">NCGA is <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >urging fellow corn growers<\/a><\/a> to act as &ldquo;a force multiplier&rdquo; by reaching out to their respective representatives ahead of the August 12 release of the MAHA Commission&rsquo;s implementation strategy.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The FDA&rsquo;s tests for pesticides on fruits ignore the most widely used defoliant, according to the GAO. (iStock Photo) | Photographer: ssto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/ncga.com\/stay-informed\/media\/in-the-news\/article\/2025\/05\/new-report-maha-efforts-on-pesticides-could-cost-farmers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">NCGA warns<\/a> that reshaping U.S. pesticide policy could cost farmers and consumers financially. In response to the MAHA report, which the association says includes &ldquo;misleading and alarmist statements&rdquo; regarding &ldquo;time-tested&rdquo; pesticides, NCGA released <a href=\"https:\/\/ncga.com\/stay-informed\/media\/the-corn-economy\/article\/2025\/05\/the-economic-benefits-of-pesticides-to-farmers-and-society\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a rebuttal report<\/a> on the economic importance of widely-used pest deterrents such as pesticides, championing them as critical tools for farmers to grow affordable and abundant food.<\/p>\n<p>Months before the MAHA report was released, over 300 agricultural advocacy organizations, including the NCGA, had sent a&nbsp;letter&nbsp;to top Trump officials in Washington calling for the commission to consider the purported benefits of pesticides.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/3.10.25-MAHA-Commission-Letter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">March 7 letter<\/a> addressed to the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins was<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/news-releases\/food-ag-community-to-maha-commission-we-must-use-sound-science\/\" target=\"_blank\">signed by various<\/a><\/span>  national and state-level coalitions in the farming industry, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Fertilizer Institute.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3377030\/rfk-jr-rollins-outline-maha-nutrition-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">RFK JR. AND ROLLINS OUTLINE MAHA NUTRITION AGENDA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite this rising revolt against the MAHA agenda concerning pesticide practices, industry powerhouses could see some sympathy from friendly faces in the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>MAHA critic Kyle Kunkler, a longtime lobbyist in the farming sector, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eenews.net\/articles\/farm-industry-lobbyist-maha-critic-to-head-epa-pesticides-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">tapped last month<\/a> to head the EPA&rsquo;s pesticides subdivision.<\/p>\n<p>Kunkler, formerly the director of government affairs for <a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/rise-of-the-anti-pesticide-petitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">the <\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/rise-of-the-anti-pesticide-petitions\/\" target=\"_blank\">pro-pesticide<\/a>&nbsp;American Soybean Association (ASA), is now in charge of the U.S. agency&rsquo;s regulatory pesticides program, which is<\/span> housed within the EPA&rsquo;s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.<\/p>\n<p>For years, <a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/the-pesticide-tango-one-step-forward-two-steps-back\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Kunkler advocated<\/a> the use of industrial chemicals in American agriculture. At the ASA, Kunkler&rsquo;s<a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/policies-in-progress-renewable-fuels-wotus-and-pesticide-compliance-are-among-top-asa-advocacy-priorities-beyond-the-farm-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> work<\/a> focused on ensuring that farmers continually have cheap access to chemical products, which the ASA argues are essential for high yields. In 2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/soygrowers.com\/news-releases\/kunkler-hired-to-manage-asa-biotech-crop-protection-advocacy-efforts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">his first year at the ASA<\/a>, CropLife America, a significant trade association for pesticide manufacturers, gave Kunkler its annual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.croplifeamerica.org\/news-releases\/croplife-america-recognizes-award-winners-at-2020-annual-meeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Rising Star Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Kunkler previously pushed policies promoting genetically engineered crops and chemical fertilizers while working for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, whose members include the chemicals corporation BASF and Corteva Agriscience, a company that provides crop production products such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.<\/p>\n<p>Kunkler&rsquo;s <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">appointment to this top EPA role increases the number of agency appointees chosen from<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.4cleanair.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/EPA-Politicals-Directory-2-13-25.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">  the agricultural industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At least 8 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in food systems around the world, with the U.S accounting for approximately 11%, or more than 1 billion pounds, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/centers\/ohio-kentucky-indiana-water-science-center\/science\/pesticides\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according to the U.S. Geological Survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2134897\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2134897\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Farm lobbyists push to retain pesticides despite MAHA report<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2462241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-2196580292.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[17557,38880,4527,40358,28857],"class_list":["post-2462240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-farming","tag-food-safety","tag-lobbyists","tag-maha","tag-pesticides"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GettyImages-2196580292.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2462240"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2462244,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462240\/revisions\/2462244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2462241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2462240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2462240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2462240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}