WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to expand support for regenerative agriculture, increase research into chemical exposures in the food supply and promote technologies aimed at reducing reliance on conventional crop protection chemicals.
The order, signed June 25, places the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency at the center of a new federal initiative linking agricultural practices with food security and public health.
The directive calls for increased federal investment in regenerative farming practices, research and education while encouraging public-private partnerships and reducing regulatory barriers to agricultural innovation.
Regenerative agriculture generally refers to farming practices intended to improve soil health, conserve resources and increase long-term farm productivity.
Under the order, the EPA is directed to prioritize the review and registration of substances that can serve as alternatives to older agricultural chemicals and to review data related to pre-harvest desiccation uses to ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards.
The agencies also are instructed to develop a research framework for evaluating cumulative chemical exposures in the food supply using emerging scientific methods. The order specifies that the research effort does not direct agencies to take regulatory action beyond existing statutory authorities.
HHS will launch a National Institutes of Health grand prize challenge seeking new methods to evaluate, diagnose and treat cumulative chemical exposures. The department also will direct the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to prioritize technologies that could reduce dependence on conventional chemical crop protection tools.
The order further instructs the Agriculture Department to maximize funding for its existing Regenerative Pilot Program and explore ways to expand its reach through public-private partnerships.
The administration framed the initiative as part of the broader Make America Healthy Again agenda established by Executive Order 14212 in February 2025, which directed federal agencies to address chronic disease and work with farmers to improve the nation’s food system.
The White House noted that HHS, USDA and EPA previously committed more than $1 billion toward farm modernization and long-term food supply security initiatives.
Coinciding with the executive order, HHS released an issue brief examining potential links between regenerative agriculture, food quality, environmental exposures and human health. The report concluded that regenerative agriculture represents a promising area for further scientific study and may complement broader efforts to improve nutrition and address factors associated with chronic disease prevention.
“Making America Healthy Again begins with understanding that health starts long before someone enters a doctor’s office,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated, describing farmers as essential partners in the administration’s health agenda.
The executive order takes effect immediately but specifies that its implementation remains subject to existing law and the availability of appropriated funding.
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