Story perspectives

Trump Orders Pesticide Study, Farm Groups Clash Over Safety

7/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 25 directing agencies to study pesticide exposure and promote alternatives.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his MAHA movement said conventional pesticides harm farmers and the public, exposing a farm coalition split.
Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall warned the order implied an unsafe food supply, clarified by spokesperson Mike Tomko, after the 7-2 Monsanto v. Durnell ruling.

History

Historical Context

In response to Rachel Carson’s 1962 Silent Spring, Congress passed the Food Quality Protection Act on August 3 1996, which Bill Clinton signed to require a single, health-based pesticide residue standard and special protection for children. The EPA’s mandate reshaped pesticide registration, and Donald Trump’s June 25 executive order revives that framework, prompting renewed agency reviews.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 25 directing agencies to study pesticide exposure and promote alternatives.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his MAHA movement said conventional pesticides harm farmers and the public, exposing a farm coalition split.
Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall warned the order implied an unsafe food supply, clarified by spokesperson Mike Tomko, after the 7-2 Monsanto v. Durnell ruling.

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