President Donald Trump’s executive order last month, aimed at ramping up production of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate herbicides under the Defense Production Act, has ignited a firestorm among those committed to revitalizing America’s health through its food system. Far from derailing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, this decision has only amplified calls for a decisive pivot away from chemical-laden agriculture toward regenerative practices that honor the land and nourish the body. As farmers and consumers alike grapple with the implications, the order serves as a stark reminder of the entrenched interests in industrial farming—and the growing resolve to challenge them.
The order, signed on February 18, cited potential shortages as a national security risk, prioritizing the manufacture of these key ingredients in herbicides like Roundup. Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, has long been a cornerstone of conventional farming, enabling vast monoculture operations that dominate American agriculture. Yet, for MAHA advocates, this reliance represents a profound moral failing: poisoning the soil, water, and people in pursuit of efficiency and profit.