Many in the food and ag industries are urging the newly established Make America Healthy Again Commission to prioritize sound science and data in its upcoming product evaluations.
John Bode, President of the Corn Refiners Association, says decisions that aren’t rooted in fact are a disservice to public health and consumer trust. “Decisions are made based on the totality of the science and a risk-based analysis,” he says. “That has been the foundation of all of our foreign trade. It is the foundation of our regulatory system.”
Bode tells Brownfield News that these products are already robustly tested to ensure safety, and statements made by members of the Commission are concerning. “Don’t just act on what urban legend or popular belief is,” he says.
The Commission includes the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.
According to Bode, restricted access to products that are essential to the food and agriculture industry could also disrupt global demand. “If we have government leaders who are saying things or promoting ideas that are not based on science, that will be cited by our trading partners as protectionist reasons to not use products of U.S. farms,” he says.
More than 300 food and ag groups recently sent a letter to members of the Commission. The letter specifically focuses on the importance of pesticides, biotechnology, and food and feeder ingredients for farmers and consumers.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Agricultural organizations have long advocated for the use of science when developing legislative or regulatory policies. Often, however, the science has been tainted by political considerations or popularity polls. There are many examples where pseudo-science has been injected into policy development that results in poor decisions and/or unnecessary cost to producers, processors and/or consumers. Mr. Bode and the many organizations that signed the letter are on solid ground to request that only actual scientific data drive future decisions that impact what we grow, what we eat or how we live!
You can help support the research efforts at the nearest land grant university and insist it be used by policy makers in your state or by federal agencies. And you can do this by working with the farmers/ranchers in your area and the organizations they deem essential.
