USDA Announces New Partnerships to Advance MAHA Agenda

New initiatives aim to promote healthier eating and restrict junk food purchases with SNAP benefits

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new efforts to encourage private sector participation in educating Americans about the importance of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as an upcoming rule to increase minimum stocking requirements for retailers accepting SNAP benefits and the addition of four new states to SNAP restriction waivers.

Why it matters

These initiatives are part of the broader 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) movement, which seeks to improve public health by promoting healthier eating habits and restricting access to unhealthy processed foods through SNAP program rules.

The details

The USDA is launching the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Strategic Partnerships to get the private sector, including retailers, the medical community, farmers, and the media, more involved in educating the public about the importance of following the Dietary Guidelines. Additionally, the USDA is finalizing a rule that will hold retailers accepting SNAP benefits to higher minimum standards for stocking staple food items. The USDA also announced four new state waivers restricting the purchase of certain highly processed 'junk' foods with SNAP benefits.

  • The USDA announced these new initiatives on March 4, 2026.
  • The Stocking Standards final rule is impending.
  • The four new SNAP restriction waivers are for the states of Kansas, Nevada, Ohio, and Wyoming.

The players

Brooke L. Rollins

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Ben Carson

National Nutrition Advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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What they’re saying

“The Make America Healthy Again movement has brought together the private sector, including retailers, the medical community, farmers, rancher, producers, and the media to play a key role in encouraging healthier families and healthier communities.”

— Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (wncy.com)

“If retailers take taxpayer dollars, they must put real food on their shelves. SNAP exists to nourish vulnerable Americans—not bankroll the products driving our chronic disease crisis. Today, we are putting nutrition back at the center of SNAP and giving millions of families greater access to real food.”

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (wncy.com)

“As National Nutrition Advisor to the Department of Agriculture, I commend Secretary Rollins' work to Make America Healthy Again. For over 12 years, minimum stocking standards in retailers have been debated. This impending rule is practical, doable, and will provide families with new, more healthful choices no matter where they shop. Complementing this are four new restriction waivers, making certain highly processed junk food is not eligible for purchase with taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits.”

— Dr. Ben Carson, National Nutrition Advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (wncy.com)

What’s next

Interested parties can contact the DietaryGuidelines@usda.gov team for more information on becoming a strategic partner in the USDA's new educational initiatives.

The takeaway

The USDA's new partnerships and policy changes aim to promote healthier eating habits and restrict access to unhealthy processed foods, particularly for low-income Americans relying on SNAP benefits. These efforts are part of the broader 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda to improve public health outcomes.