A political slogan that originated on the 2024 campaign road, “Make America Healthy Again” has subsequently inspired large firms to remove artificial chemicals from their goods, and Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall has claimed to have been an early follower of this trend.
In contrast to other initiatives, such as replacing high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar in soda or adjusting the oil in deep fryers, Marshall thinks MAHA can get rolling sooner.
In his own four-pronged MAHA platform, he calls for more agricultural efficiency, better, more nutrient-dense food, universal, low-cost basic healthcare, and support for youth mental health.
Soil health, however, is the foundation.
In an interview with AWN Digital, Marshall described soil as “a dirty topic,” with a pun intended.
He said that farmers and MAHA loyalists are, on the surface, at conflict. Bringing back the use of only organic, fertilizer-free farming practices might result in better food, but it would put a heavy financial burden on consumers and put a strain on agriculture.
For the purpose of bridging that divide, Marshall convened a roundtable earlier this week with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Soil health seems to be the common ground,” according to him. Soil health, food health, and human health all go hand in hand. Instead of MAHA dictating to these farmers what they can and cannot do, we wanted to ask, “What is our objective around this?” We will find a way to make this work if our objectives are identical. Soil health is the end aim.
He intends to bring together specialists in regenerative agriculture—a more comprehensive method of farming that aims to improve soil health via the restoration and enhancement of ecosystems—and those two individuals.
In addition, he plans to introduce a large package of measures organized into sections that mirror his four pillars, such as those dealing with mental health, nutrition, agriculture, and health care.
Marshall is eager to see one of the package’s almost 30 modifications and laws enacted in particular. He stated that the Plant Biostimulant Act will encourage the use of soil-dwelling organisms that attach themselves to plant roots, allowing them to absorb nitrates and more water.
He is deeply committed to regenerative agriculture, which employs less water and fertilizers than conventional farming methods. This approach allows for the production of better crops on more sustainable acreage, leading to a more affordable and nourishing diet for Americans.
“It’s growing more with less,” he said.
There are a number of bills in both houses that would increase funding for mobile cancer screenings, add mental health warnings for children using social media, make food ingredients more transparent, expand healthcare coverage for chronic diseases through employers, and make cutting-edge soil health technology and processes eligible for funding under the Farm Bill, among other things.
Marshall pointed out that the majority of Senate laws require 60 votes to succeed, which is why it was important to include provisions from both parties in the package. Regardless of the gridlock in Washington, DC, there is one issue that “unites us, rather than divides us.”
The possibility for the measures to succeed is seen by President Trump as a type of now or never moment, especially with him in power.
“We’re seeing a time in our lives where the incidence of cancer, the age of cancer, is growing younger and younger, the age of Alzheimer’s onset is growing younger and younger, and we believe it’s an inflammatory reaction to the food that we’re eating that leads to all that,” according to him.
“We think heart disease, hypertension, is really an inflammatory reaction… to the food we’re eating and the constantly high sugar levels in our blood system,” said the doctor. “So, I believe it is crucial to grasp the opportunity. Here it is.
