Ohio corn grower leaders and other state and national advocates are calling for President Donald Trump’s intervention after the Make America Healthy Again Report was released today, questioning the safety of critical pesticides.
“We are deeply disappointed that the Make America Healthy Again Commission would release a report that raises questions that have already been answered about the safe use of pesticides,” said Tyler Drewes, President of the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association. “We are also troubled that this unscientific report could cripple our farmers’ effort to attain and use much-needed technologies as they plant and harvest their grains.”
The report, prepared by the MAHA Commission, raises questions about the effects of atrazine and glyphosate on the health of children. While stopping short of being prescriptive, the report calls for more research on the technologies.
Decades of extensive research and testing show that pesticides, including atrazine and glyphosate, can be used safely for their intended uses. The pesticides are required to be reviewed at least every 15 years and are subject to continuous review whenever new scientific data become available to keep registrations current. Importantly, the EPA can also re-scrutinize a product at any time if there are new data suggesting any novel risks.
