Bozeman—The Montana Farm Bureau is concerned about the Make America Healthy Again report launched by the Trump Administration yesterday.  The state’s largest general agricultural organization thanked the study committee for recognizing the critical role farmers and ranchers play in producing the safest food supply in the world.

The report noted that life expectancy in the U.S. has increased by more than 30 years compared to 1900 which is due in part to agriculture’s ability to meet the nutritional needs of America’s families and the safety of our food. The Farm Bureau pointed out that the onerous federal regulations disproportionately affect small and medium-sized farmers, who lack the resources to remain in strict compliance.

MFBF President Cyndi Johnson, a wheat farmer from Conrad, expressed her concern about the contradictions in the report.

“Farmers are identified as ‘critical partners,’ yet were excluded from development of the report, despite many requests for a seat at the table,” Johnson said. “The report acknowledges a mountain of evidence about the safety of our food system and rigorous regulatory process yet is contradictory in that it spotlights outlier studies and presents unproven theories that feed a false narrative.

Johnson said that as a farmer, she lives where she farms. “Even when we are farming, whether it’s spraying crops to kill harmful pests and invasive weeds or putting the plow to the earth, we live here. I can assure you that farmers are dedicated to using sound science and technological advances to continue to keep food supplies safe.”

The commission cited “some studies” that raise concerns over the safety of scientifically backed pesticides like glyphosate and atrazine, yet hundreds of studies have affirmed the safety of properly applied pesticides. The commission did point to USDA findings that 99% of food samples are compliant with EPA’s safety limits.

“Any proposed changes, whether to farming practices or in our food production system must be carefully considered,” Johnson said. “Limiting food options, such as shelf-stable foods, threatens to put the nutritional needs of many families out of reach. We will be studying the report in more detail. If we need the support of our Congressional delegation, we will reach out to them. We look forward to proving to the administration and consumers that our farmers really produce extremely safe and affordable food.”