President Trump signed an executive order to boost regenerative agriculture as a means of supporting food security.
The order, which aligns with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) efforts, says regenerative agriculture practices “strengthen soil health, lower input costs, improve chemical efficiency to reduce overall use, improve farm profitability, maintain yields, increase market value, expand access to new markets, and strengthen rural economies.”
It declares that the United States will “promote continued advances in precision agriculture technologies; significantly increase Federal investment in regenerative agriculture practices, research, and education; and spur private-sector innovation in farm modernization by reducing red tape and strengthening public-private partnerships.”
Trump celebrated the order during an event in the White House Rose Garden. “It was my honor to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to accelerate agricultural innovations that give farmers and ranchers the necessary resources to ensure American crops are the healthiest, and the most abundant, and the most affordable,” he said. “And we’re always working for the farmer. We want to make it better and easier for you.”
Earlier this year, Trump signed an order that supports the production of the herbicide, glyphosate. According to the order, elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides are necessary for national security, as they serve as the “cornerstone of this Nation’s agricultural productivity and rural economy, allowing United States farmers and ranchers to maintain high yields and low production costs while ensuring that healthy, affordable food options remain within reach for all American families.”
The order notes that there is “no direct one-for-one chemical alternative to glyphosate-based herbicides.” Lack of the herbicide, however, “would critically jeopardize agricultural productivity, adding pressure to the domestic food system, and may result in a transition of cropland to other uses due to low productivity.”
