Supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement say President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on glyphosate production has accelerated public awareness about chemical agriculture and interest in regenerative farming.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement say debate surrounding agricultural chemicals has intensified following President Donald Trump’s decision to expand domestic production of glyphosate-related inputs, with advocates arguing the controversy is driving more farmers and consumers toward regenerative agriculture and organic food.
Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 18 invoking the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides. According to a report from The Epoch Times, supporters of regenerative agriculture say the policy has sparked renewed scrutiny of chemical inputs used widely across American farmland.
The administration described the move as necessary to protect supply chains tied to agriculture and national security. In the executive order, the White House said glyphosate-based herbicides remain essential to modern farming and maintaining high crop yields.
“[The] lack of access to glyphosate-based herbicides would critically jeopardize agricultural productivity,” the order states.
Elemental phosphorus, which is required to manufacture glyphosate, was designated by the Department of the Interior as a scarce material. The chemical is also used in semiconductors, lithium-ion batteries and certain military applications.
John Klar, a regenerative cattle farmer in Vermont who works with MAHA Action, said public awareness surrounding glyphosate has increased as the issue has gained national attention.
“The more that people learn about it, the more they seek to avoid it and scrutinize their food labels. The more they avoid it, the more they purchase trustworthy organic alternatives, thereby increasing demand for those safer offerings,” Klar said.
“No one is eating glyphosate in the name of defending national security,” he added.
Glyphosate is widely used to control weeds and dry crops prior to harvest. Crops engineered to tolerate glyphosate make up the majority of corn, soybean and cotton acreage in the United States.
Through its subsidiary Monsanto, Bayer remains the only domestic manufacturer of glyphosate, the key ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. According to the Global Glyphosate Study, the chemical is the most widely used herbicide in history.
Data cited by the Center for Food Safety indicates roughly 280 million pounds of glyphosate are sprayed annually across approximately 285 million acres of American farmland.
Some MAHA advocates argue that the United States relies too heavily on agricultural chemicals. Tony Lyons, executive director of MAHA Action, said geopolitical supply chains also played a role in the administration’s decision.
“President Trump has been consistent in his commitment to reducing American dependence on China across every critical supply chain,” Lyons said. “Allowing a geopolitical adversary to control inputs that affect both military readiness and the food supply of 330 million Americans is a vulnerability no serious administration can ignore.”
The debate has drawn responses from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who addressed the controversy in a post on X.
“Pesticides and herbicides are toxic by design, engineered to kill living organisms,” Kennedy wrote, adding that applying them widely across farmland “puts Americans at risk.”
“Chemical manufacturers have paid tens of billions of dollars to settle cancer claims linked to their products, and many agricultural communities report elevated cancer rates and chronic disease,” he said.
Kennedy acknowledged that American agriculture remains deeply dependent on these inputs.
“If these inputs disappeared overnight, crop yields would fall, food prices would surge, and America would experience a massive loss of farms even beyond what we are witnessing today. The consequences would be disastrous,” he wrote.
He said he supports efforts to bring chemical production back to the United States to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
Meanwhile, Bayer has repeatedly maintained that glyphosate is safe when used as directed, citing regulatory reviews including a 2016 Environmental Protection Agency determination that the chemical was “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate in 2015 as a probable human carcinogen.
Activists working to reduce chemical use in agriculture say the policy debate has increased public awareness about food systems.
Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America, said Trump’s order has intensified attention on glyphosate and agricultural chemicals.
“We will keep raising awareness about glyphosate and focus on the solutions that include regenerative organic food, learning how to grow your own food organically, and not waiting for or relying on the government to improve our health,” Honeycutt said.
Farmers transitioning away from chemical agriculture say regenerative methods can restore soil health and improve long-term sustainability.
Will Harris, a fourth-generation cattle farmer in southern Georgia, operates White Oak Pastures and has spent decades shifting his farm away from conventional chemical practices.
“We were heavily invested in all the tools, pesticides, chemical fertilizer, and antibiotics,” Harris said of his earlier operations.
“All of those ways have negative unintended consequences—like degradation of the soil and water, and poor animal welfare. It’s hard on the land, the water, the environment, and all of the animal species.”
Harris now hosts farmers from across the country seeking to learn regenerative techniques at educational programs held at his farm.
“That gives me hope. These people are coming from all around the country at their own expense to see our operation and learn about how to implement what I know first-hand is a way to flourish in a way that is healthy for the land, the animals, and people who consume the food,” he said.
Joel Salatin of Virginia’s Polyface Farm, widely known for promoting regenerative agriculture, has also criticized glyphosate use. In an opinion column highlighted by The Epoch Times, Salatin described the herbicide as unnecessary and said most of its use is tied to genetically modified corn and soybean production.
Nearly half of U.S. corn production goes to ethanol fuel rather than food, Salatin said, while approximately half of the nation’s soybeans are exported.
Salatin has advocated for a “Food Emancipation Proclamation” that would remove regulatory barriers affecting small farms and homesteaders.
“If two consenting adults want to exercise freedom of choice to engage in a voluntary food transaction, they should not need a bureaucrat’s permission to do so,” Salatin said.
MAHA advocates have also proposed several policy initiatives, including an independent Environmental Protection Agency review of glyphosate, expanded development of non-chemical weed control technologies, tax incentives for farmers adopting new equipment such as robotic weeders and grants supporting regenerative transitions.
Federal agencies have already begun outlining broader agricultural initiatives. On Feb. 27, the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency announced a strategy focused on farm modernization and long-term food security.
The administration previously announced in December 2025 that it would allocate $700 million to support regenerative agriculture. According to a USDA announcement highlighted in a report on the funding program, the funding is designed to help farmers transition away from heavy reliance on chemical inputs.
Kennedy said the initiative is intended to provide farmers dependent on chemical fertilizers and pesticides with “an off-ramp” toward practices centered on soil health.
Legal battles surrounding glyphosate are also continuing. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case on April 27 involving claims that exposure to Roundup caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
One plaintiff, Missouri resident John Durnell, was previously awarded $1.25 million after a jury concluded Monsanto failed to provide adequate warnings about potential cancer risks.
Monsanto has argued the case conflicts with federal law under the legal doctrine of preemption.
Separately, Bayer announced that Monsanto submitted a proposal for a $7.25 billion class-action settlement covering current and future claims from individuals alleging exposure to Roundup caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The proposed settlement still requires judicial approval.
In 2020, Bayer agreed to a separate $10 billion settlement involving similar claims.
Activists are planning demonstrations related to the Supreme Court case, including the “People Versus Poison” rally scheduled outside the Court building.
Honeycutt said public education efforts will continue regardless of how the Court rules.
“If farmers choose to stop using those chemicals, it doesn’t matter whether the chemical companies have immunity. It doesn’t matter if they keep lying and telling people it’s safe,” she said.
“If the farmers choose to move away from being stuck on a toxic treadmill of chemical cocktails, then the American people win, and the chemical companies lose.”
Original article
Comments