Episode 31: What’s the Deal with MAHA?
On this episode we are joined by Helena Bottemiller Evich and Theodore Ross, the co-hosts of the podcast “Forked.” Every two weeks, they discuss “the politics and policy that are turning the American food system on its head.” For much of the past year, they have spent a huge amount of time discussing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, its connections to de-facto leader, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the ways in which he and the movement are shaping policy and practice, from federal and state laws to food companies’ promises to change the formulas of their products. Together we talk through who makes up this movement, what their priorities are, what progress MAHA is making towards its goals — and where it is falling short. Can it make America healthy again?
Available wherever you listen to podcasts.
“If you look at the polling, Republicans actually overwhelmingly support more regulation of processed foods, more regulation of pesticides. The polling almost matches the Democrats on that. And so the vibes have shifted a lot, but the ideological underpinning that would be required to actually follow through on that shift? We're not seeing that.”
Episode guests:
Helena Bottemiller Evich
Helena is the founder and editor-in-chief of Food Fix. Previously, she led coverage of food and agriculture at POLITICO for nearly a decade, winning numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious George Polk Award for a series on climate change, and two James Beard Awards for features on nutrition and science.
Theodore Ross
Ted is the editor-in-chief of the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN). Previously, he was a producer for various television news shows, and before that, executive editor at The New Republic.
FoodPrint resources:
Additional resources:
- New York Times Opinion: “We’re About to Find Out if Kennedy Is Serious”
- Politico: “Michelle Obama Was Vilified by the Right. Then Came MAHA.”
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Top photo by Alexandre Rotenberg/Adobe Stock.