(Just The News)—Illinois soybean farmers face a potential market shakeup if public sentiment, and eventually policy, turns against seed oils, experts warn.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, has been outspoken about reshaping America’s diet, saying in a video that Trump has promised him “control of the public health agencies.”

“We’ve got to get off of seed oils and we’ve got to get off of pesticide-intense agriculture,” said Kennedy in the video.

Kennedy’s remarks are raising concern among agricultural experts, including Callie Eideberg, principal at the Vogel Group, who notes that about two-thirds of the U.S. soybean market goes into food, meaning any shift away from seed oils could hit Illinois farmers hard.

“We haven’t seen the federal government take any legal or regulatory steps to remove soybean oil or other seed oils from the food system,” Eideberg said. “That could change, but without a legal mandate, it’s unlikely many companies will voluntarily reformulate their products—it’s simply too costly. For now, the real impact on farmers’ bottom lines remains to be seen.”

Eideberg noted producers should start paying attention as food trends and policy debates converge.

Eideberg was asked whether Illinois soybean farmers might need to adapt their operations, or even switch to a different crop, to respond to changing consumer trends and potential regulatory pressures.

“I know there are folks at the Illinois Soybean Association and across the country who are always thinking about new market development,” Eideberg said. “Whether that’s finding a place to sell soybeans overseas for animal feed or human consumption, or creating innovative products, experts are figuring that out every day. Soy is everywhere – even in car seats – but there’s still a lot more that can be done to expand alternative uses beyond the consumer market.”

For now, she said trade policy remains the bigger problem. Eideberg said the “lack of markets overseas” tied to ongoing trade wars is having “the biggest impact right now on the bottom line for soybean producers.”

Illinois recently banned certain food dyes, a MAHA-related move. Eideberg warns that if states target soybean oil next, it could create a patchwork of rules that would be challenging for both farmers and food producers.

“Individual states are making these MAHA-related decisions on their own,” she said. “When the federal government tried to remove certain food dyes from our system, it wasn’t a legal mandate, it was more of a strong-arm effort by Secretary Kennedy. Companies complied because those products weren’t widely used. Soybean oil is very different; it’s in nearly everything consumers buy, so removing it would be a massive, costly undertaking.”

The bigger issue, Eideberg said, is what happens when individual states start passing their own MAHA-related laws.

“That becomes a nightmare for companies who are trying to sell their products in all 50 states but potentially need 50 different formulations for those products,” she said.

To counter this, a coalition of food companies in Washington D.C. has formed to push for federal preemption, where the federal government asserts sole authority over food regulation, preventing states from setting conflicting rules.

“There’s a lot of money behind this effort,” Eideberg said. “It’s just getting started, and it’s going to take a little while. But this could be a way to make federal law the standard, so states no longer have the authority to act independently.”

Why the National Debt Is the Looming Threat to Your Retirement Plans

The Hidden Crisis No One Is Talking About

Every day, headlines warn about inflation, market volatility, and global instability—but the greatest looming threat to your retirement might be something far more fundamental: America’s skyrocketing national debt.

You can learn more about how the national debt affects you by reading this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“.

With debt growing faster than most Americans can possibly fathom, the government’s borrowing habits have reached historic—and dangerous—levels. To cover spending, Washington is making moves with their budget packages, tariffs, and taxes. Is it enough? No. It’s not even close to what would be necessary to stop out-of-control debt, let alone reverse it.

How Debt Erodes Your Nest Egg

There are only so many levers government and the Federal Reserve can pull to try to protect Americans, assuming that’s even a top priority for them. Unfortunately, pulling one level to relive one pressure invariably adds pressure from another direction. This is why prices keep going up even as inflation reportedly slows.

For retirees and pre-retirees, that’s a perfect storm. The dollars you’ve worked hard to save lose value, and your cost of living increases while your investments lag behind.

If you’re relying solely on paper-based assets—stocks, bonds, or mutual funds—you’re essentially tied to the same system that’s creating the problem. It’s a system that was designed to work well in the 20th century, not in today’s world with people living longer and the dollar rapidly losing value.

This is why the 3-minute report, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now,” is so important.

The Precious Metals Hedge

Thousands of Americans are looking for a tangible, time-tested hedge: physical gold and silver.

Unlike paper assets, precious metals aren’t dependent on government policy or the stock market’s mood swings. They’re real, finite resources that have maintained value for thousands of years through wars, recessions, and inflationary periods.

In fact, during times of high inflation and fiscal instability, gold often performs its best—because it’s seen as a store of value when faith in the dollar weakens. This is why prices have skyrocketed this year and are expected by many economists to continue going up in the future.

Take Control with a Gold IRA

One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement from national debt fallout is through a self-directed Gold IRA. This IRS-approved account lets you hold physical gold and silver within your retirement portfolio, giving you:

Direct ownership of your assets

A hedge against inflation and dollar decline

The control to diversify beyond Wall Street

Augusta Precious Metals specializes in helping Americans just like you take this step with confidence. The company has earned a strong reputation for transparency, education, and personalized service—making it one of the most trusted names in the industry.

The Next Step: Secure Your Financial Future

Augusta Precious Metals has helped thousands of Americans with at least $50,000 to invest from their IRAs, 401(K)s, TSPs, and other retirement accounts safeguard their savings through precious metals.

If you’re concerned about what the rising national debt could mean for your future, now is the time to act.

Read this 3-minute report titled, “Debt Will Hit $40T in 2026: Prepare Your Retirement Now“ and learn the simple steps you can take to protect your retirement.