I have to agree with Zippy Duvall’s comments after the release of the Make America Healthy Again report that addressed concerns with some of of the inputs farmers use to grow crops.
In response, the president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said, “It is deeply troubling for the White House to endorse a report that sows seeds of doubt and fear about our food system and farming practices, then attempts to celebrate farmers and the critical role they play in producing the safest food supply in the world.”
Just as the mainstream media is constantly harping about how people all over the world are starving because of President Trump’s policies to cut government spending, farmers are being told they that our food system is unsafe.
Farmers use inputs to mitigate damage caused by pests and weeds, but only when it is absolutely necessary because these products are expensive. They also feed their own families with the food they produce so safety is of the utmost importance.
“As a farmer myself, I can confidently say that farmers and ranchers share the goal of improving health outcomes in America. They’re dedicated to continuous improvement, guided by sound science and technological advances,” Duvall said.
I think farmers were also disappointed that they didn’t have a seat at the table and have a say when the report was written.
Rob Larew, president of National Farmers Union, said, “Disregarding the expertise of respected regulatory bodies and leaving farmers out of the conversation undermines public trust and puts the future of American agriculture and rural economies at risk.”
It also opens the door for crafty lawyers to prey on an industry that prides itself on producing healthy, nutritious food.
As Craig Meeker, a farmer from Wellington, Kan., put it, “This kind of messaging drives fear, not facts and it plays right into the hands of trial lawyers looking to profit. It risks driving up food costs and taking away safe, effective tools that have been rigorously reviewed by both Republican and Democratic administrations for more than 50 years. We urge President Trump to include farmers in future discussions.”
I believe that President Trump supports farmers and ranchers but his appointment of Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., might have been a misstep. And I wonder how many of the people that put together this report ever raised a crop or an animal, and I’m not talking about a dog or a cat.
Although the report suggested that extensive studies be done on pesticides, I think that this has already been done.
This was the point made by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, who said, “We have serious concerns over the assessment’s allegations about pesticides. The report includes statements that do not reflect the wealth of evidence developed over decades by federal agencies such as the EPA and USDA on the safety of crop inputs and food production methods. These institutions have consistently reaffirmed the safety and efficacy of the systems that help feed our country and the world.”
And finally, with out the use of protective crop inputs the world will truly starve.
Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology President and CEO Terry Kipley said, “We can all agree that improving children’s health is a priority. But that effort must be guided by sound science. When we blur the line between real risks and unfounded fear, we undermine the very tools that help farmers grow the safe, affordable food families depend on. Crop protection tools are essential to public health and food security. Without them, crop losses would increase, food prices would rise, and access to fresh fruits and vegetables would decline.”
