Modern Ag Alliance Responds to MAHA Commission Strategy, Urges Continued Science-Based Standards for Crop Protection Tools

September 9, 2025
Contact: contact@modernagalliance.org

St. Louis, MO — Today, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy. The release follows widespread concern from farmers about the Commission’s initial assessment, which questioned American farmers’ use of crop protection tools despite the overwhelming scientific consensus about their safety and benefits. While the Commission’s strategy stops short of proposing restrictions on crop protection inputs, it still advances misconceptions about these products and their regulation which could lead to harmful policy changes in the future.  

"It’s clear that farmers' voices were finally heard, but our work to defend their access to safe and proven crop protection tools is far from over," said Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Executive Director of the Modern Ag Alliance. "The Commission avoided some of the most damaging potential outcomes for American agriculture, but it still advanced some misconceptions about these essential farming inputs and the gold-standard science and regulatory processes that stand behind them."  

Crop protection products are essential for maintaining productive farms, conserving resources, and keeping grocery prices affordable for American families. Farmers already lose an average of 40% of their crop to environmental pressures, but without pesticides, losses could climb to as high as 85% and food inflation could more than double. The Modern Ag Alliance’s 2025 Ag Insights Survey found that Americans are deeply concerned about these potential outcomes and overwhelmingly support science-based policies that preserve farmers’ access to crop protection tools. A recent survey by The Associated Press also found that access to affordable food is a major source of stress for a majority of Americans.  

Pesticides are rigorously reviewed by the EPA, which conducts one of the most stringent review processes for these products in the world. It takes more than 12 years on average for a new chemistry to be introduced into the field, and the framework involves multiple agencies and hundreds of scientific experts. The EPA works with other regulatory bodies, including those in the E.U. and Canada, to incorporate the best and most rigorous scientific data available to evaluate pesticides when forming its regulations.  

"To prevent harmful policy changes in the future, it is essential for policymakers in Washington and around the country to support sound scientific standards that are based on real-world risk," said Burns-Thomspon. "If farmers lose access to crop protection products because of misguided ideological agendas, U.S. agriculture would be upended, potentially forcing many family farms to shut down and driving up food costs for every American." 

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About The Modern Ag Alliance 

The Modern Ag Alliance is a diverse coalition of more than 100 agricultural organizations advocating for U.S. farmers' access to the crop protection tools they need to ensure we have a robust and affordable domestic food supply. To learn more, visit modernagalliance.org.