Make America Healthy Again, but with Sound Science, Innovation
Published: Friday, March 21, 2025
The following is from Kip Tom, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
Food elitists contend America's farmers and ranchers have lost their way. They want to overturn the system for food production that has been the bedrock of this great country for more than two centuries. Doing so would be dangerous, jeopardizing our access to nutritious, abundant and affordable food, as Europe and others who have pursued poor approaches not supported by sound science and economics now know.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently assured farmers she would support them and make certain that efforts to make Americans healthy would not compromise the farming practices which have made us the envy of the world. I have full confidence in President Donald Trump and Secretary Rollins to support American farmers.
Farm families have faced droughts and floods and every imaginable pest while constantly improving productivity and protecting our planet. We have leveraged our land grant universities, private sector partners, and USDA researchers to unleash innovation, from seed and animal genetics to crop-care products. Today's modern equipment and computerization are all tools we use to preserve and restore our natural resources.
Yet critics of American agriculture are spreading half-truths and outright lies. They claim we poison the Earth and the food we raise. That is an insult—and attack—on everyone who works the land and the extensive independent research supporting sound practices. Today we use significantly less fertilizer, pesticides, fuel and labor than at any time in our history. In doing so, we have increased productivity and fed growing populations here and abroad while protecting our planet.
Unfortunately, these critics are gaining credibility with some segments of the public and within the political establishment. A video filmed in front of USDA offices in Washington, D.C.—and circulating widely on social media—calling for reversing decades of progress and agriculture policies should be a warning call for anyone who cares about agriculture.
These critics talk about how to "Make America Healthy Again." But they offer only one idea—a politicized and restrictive interpretation of regenerative farming. Their version of farming opposes innovation and productivity, claiming it will preserve and protect the land.
Their approach has been tried around the world, with experiments put into practice in Africa, Asia, and other places. The results are rising food prices, unsafe food, and the deterioration of our environment.
The same idea was at the heart of the "Farm to Fork" program in Europe a few years ago and similar mandated practices in Sri Lanka. The European Union program and policy shifts in Sri Lanka were not based on science, led to complicated regulations, and proved unworkable. Farmers across the continent protested. Just in the past few weeks, the Europeans decided to scrap Farm to Fork. The outcomes in Sri Lanka were worse with food insecurity that led to civil violence and the fall of their government.
Responsible regenerative practices are continually incorporated into modern farming techniques supported by science and sound economics. Yet the food elitists and those who seek to profiteer from misinformation continue to contend that American agriculture needs a radical "off ramp" from our current production system, as if science—and common concern for feeding all of humanity—should be set aside.
Make no mistake, this attack on farmers and ranchers and their access to innovations is not about the safety of our food or public health. It only benefits unethical marketers who profit from public fears about food. And it is also about putting billions of dollars in the pockets of trial attorneys suing private-sector partners of American agriculture.
America doesn't need to put more money in the pockets of these opportunistic and dishonest profiteers. What America needs now is more investment in agricultural innovations. And we need straight talk about our own eating habits and behaviors.
If we want a healthier country, we should be educating and enabling Americans to make responsible choices at the grocery store. Too many Americans are misled by convenience or misleading marketing, leading them to ultra-high processed foods and substituting higher-priced products with no corresponding nutritional benefits.
This, not how our food is produced, exacerbates poor choices some make and the non-adoption of other wellness practices. These decisions contribute to the unprecedented growth in obesity and diabetes in our country. These negative outcomes diminish quality of life and ability to contribute to society. These outcomes increase costs to an already out of control health care system. We don't need to also add costs associated with misinformed food production to Americans' burdens.
Throughout our history, American farmers and ranchers, large and small, have rolled up their sleeves, taken risks, and embraced innovation. We are living the American Dream. When our products leave the farm, they are safe, nutritious and affordable. Period. We don't need food elitists and their allies to scrap a production system that is the envy of the world.
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