() Leaders in American agriculture have voiced their opposition after a report from the “Make America Healthy Again” commission implied a connection between pesticides and chronic health issues in children.
Some have said the commission, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is causing unnecessary concern with a report full of unsubstantiated claims, while others question big agriculture companies funding many of the critics.
The American Farm Bureau Federation, the Modern Ag Alliance, and national corn and soybean associations are among those siding with critics.
The National Corn Growers Association said in a statement: “The Make America Healthy Again Report is filled with fear-based rather than science-based information about pesticides. We are deeply troubled that claims of this magnitude are being made without any scientific basis or regard for a long history of EPA expert evaluations of these products” … We call on the administration to respect the existing body of science on pesticides and, moving forward, to include America’s farmers in discussion as this process evolves.”
If they were to lose the ability to use some controversial pesticides mentioned in the commission’s report—including atrazine and glyphosate advocacy groups say American farmers would face economic repercussions and that grocery prices would skyrocket.
These groups have strong financial ties to the pesticide makers being questioned.
Public records show Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, has funded local Farm Bureau chapters and helped launch the Modern Ag Alliance.
Industry groups like CropLife have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to corn, soybean and wheat lobbyists, whose goals often include swaying legislation to benefit their members.
Bayer-Monsanto has faced more than 100,000 lawsuits related to its pesticides allegedly causing cancer or other serious health concerns. The company has paid out $11 billion in settlements. Bayer maintains its products are EPA-approved and safe.
The commission’s report admitted there was no final proof that approved uses of pesticides cause harm.
Its authors, however, pointed to potential bias in the “industry-sponsored” research and sought additional independent study.
