Farm Action and MAHA Leaders React to USDA’s Regenerative Agriculture Initiative

Farm Action issued the following response to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a $700M investment into regenerative agriculture.

This statement can be attributed to Angela Huffman, Farm Action’s president and co-founder:

“Farm Action welcomes today’s announcement that the administration will direct hundreds of millions of dollars toward regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture is not only better for the land and public health, but it also creates a path to rebuilding farmer profitability and reducing dependency on costly chemicals and other inputs controlled by a few giant companies.

Done right, this investment will help farmers lower their input costs, break free from the export-driven commodity overproduction treadmill, and move toward healthier, more resilient, and more profitable farming systems. This initiative reflects the priorities Farm Action has long championed and repeatedly urged the government to adopt.

If the Trump administration wants this initiative to succeed, USDA must make sure the Natural Resources Conservation Service—after significant funding cuts—has enough staff to get these dollars out quickly and fairly, reaching farmers across America, not just the largest operations by default.

We cannot allow a repeat of the Climate-Smart Commodities program, where projects involving multinational corporations like JBS and Tyson Foods received the lion’s share of program dollars, fueling further consolidation.”

This announcement from USDA and HHS mirrors calls Farm Action made in both its policy recommendations for the Make America Healthy Again Commission and, more recently, a letter it co-led to USDA signed by a coalition of 120 farmers and MAHA leaders calling for investment in regenerative agriculture.

- Angela Huffman, Farm Action’s president and co-founder

While we are thrilled that the Trump administration is investing in supporting farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture, it is imperative for successful implementation that the farmers have training, meaning an investment in staffing at the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

It is also crucial to Make America Healthy Again that farming practices shift to non-toxic inputs. Reducing our exposure to toxic chemicals is how we achieve MAHA, and how Trump leaves a legacy of healthier children and grandchildren.

Zen Honeycutt, Founding Executive Director,アメリカ中のママ and the Moms Across America Movement

Today’s announcement by the USDA is significant for its call for support for regenerative agriculture and its promise to fund better soil health practices, but these promises fall short in light of the massive layoffs at the NRCS earlier this year.

If the Trump administration is serious about helping America’s farmers transition to more environmentally friendly farming practices, it needs to recognize the importance of well-trained NRCS staff in helping farmers achieve those goals in real-world situations.

DavidMurphy, founder of United We Eat, former top fundraiser for RFK, Jr’s presidential campaign

I am grateful that USDA Secretary Rollins is elevating and investing in regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Agriculture Initiative is a significant step in the right direction.

However, this same year, the USDA cut more than a billion dollars from local and regional food programs—such as farm-to-school and farm-to-food-bank—that provide critical markets for regenerative farmers. Clearly, there is still a long way to go.

If policymakers are serious about transitioning American agriculture toward farmer prosperity and soil regeneration, they should restore the thousands of recently eliminated NRCS staff positions that are essential to supporting farmers through this transition. USDA should also reinstate the many programs that have been cut this year, as outlined in the letter from MAHA leaders and MAHA-aligned farmers.