MAHA wants to make new oxen from cotton.

Between cattle-talg-pommes, raw milk and vaccination, the Galion figures of Make America Healthy Again have put another piece of life in sight: our clothes. MAHA wants to make cotton a new beef tallow

A new campaign for advertising for cotton grown in the USA sounds nicely – but is much more complicated than the government makes it sound. A new campaign for advertising for cotton grown in the USA sounds nicely – but is much more complicated than the government makes it sound. “The MAHA movement does not stop at what we ESSEN – it is also about what we TRAGEN,” said Agriculture Minister Brooke Rollins at the end of May in a paper on X. “For decades, America has moved textile jobs abroad and allows foreign synthetic, plastics-based materials to take over the clothing market.” Rollins joined Fox News for a new campaign by the Ministry of Agriculture entitled “The Great American Cotton Plan”, an initiative that promises subsidies to American cotton farmers, the revival of domestic production, cheaper trade policies with other countries and a marketing campaign aimed at consumers and urges them to buy “plants instead of plastic”. The campaign is at least partly a problem that the Trump administration itself has caused: cotton farmers themselves have explained that tariffs and rising costs make work more difficult and more expensive. The focus on cotton clothing and textiles as part of the MAHA ideology comes at a reasonable time for the movement. There is a wave of interest in clothing made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool and linen, unlike synthetic fibers such as polyesters, which are common mainly in fast fashion, but also in clothing in general. Some brands take advantage of the growing interest of consumers in clothing made from natural fibres and market their products with inaccurate and unregulated keywords such as “unreasonable” and “clean”. And on step and step, influencers document their efforts to replace plastics and other plastics in their homes with “natural” alternatives. MAHA now subsumes cotton as part of the official platform under the leadership of health minister Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The government's appeal to consumers to buy, wear and use cotton products against others seems to be quite harmless at first glance – cotton clothing actually feels good. It is a versatile fabric available in an endless variety of textures, knitting, colors, weights and prints. In hot weather, it is airy, especially with a loose fabric that does not lie close to the skin. There are some products that I only buy when they consist of 100% cotton, for example pyjamas, t-shirts with graphics or jeans. cotton has its place in our wardrobes like any fiber; However, the MAHA evangelists and profiteers rarely unravel the nuances. An apparel category that has attracted a lot of attention in recent years is active clothing, which is usually made from synthetic materials and is often worn close to the skin. In the social media, influencers dramatically stuffed their leggings, sports bras and underwear in garbage bags and swear to throw away their clothes and replace them with cotton products. The influencer content often strives for maximum panic. (If you want to have children one day, throw away your entire sportswear), a video begins. It promotes a so-called “poor” sports brand.)

However, some average consumers also worry about using oil-based materials during training, as polyester clothing eliminates microplastics and the risk that their skin absorbs chemicals from their clothing. An article by Wirecutter, which deals specifically with the issue of plastic active clothing, presents some of the compelling factors: when it comes to exposure to chemicals, it is not clear what risk clothing represents compared to food or drink. Scientists still try to understand the effects microplastic has on the human body or how to measure microplastics best at all. Synthetic fabrics and materials also play an important role in comfortable and durable clothing: In underwear, for example, you need rubber bands at waist and legs, otherwise they do not remain in place. 100% wool or cotton socks would wear faster. Even the “poor” activewear brands advertised by influencers contain a certain proportion of synthetic fibers of unknown origin in the substances they use – 100% cotton leggings do not have the same stretchability. There is still another reality that is covered in many parts of the MAHA brand name “unreasonable” and the government: The production of natural fibers such as cotton does not necessarily mean that a garment is safer or free from chemicals. Sometimes manufacturers treat fabrics (including cotton) to make them more resistant to stains or wrinkles, which may result in chemicals such as formaldehyde being included in clothing. Some early investigations have also challenged claims that natural fibers are actually biodegradable, as often claimed by manufacturers and brands. The Great American Cotton Plan of USDA has also annoyed some MAHA influencers who say it is a program supported by the agricultural industry for the sale of more pesticides – Cotton is water-intensive for cultivation, processing and dyeing and uses large quantities of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Their preferred approach is to focus on organic farming, but even this brings a reservation: generalized organic seals are delicate, and in reports from the New York Times, evidence of fraud has been found along the supply chain for certified organic products. In other words, it's a mess. It is safe, however, that the fears of consumers, from which clothing exists, are good for business. Every day, “poor”, “natural” and “clean” clothing brands appear, with well-sounding but unregulated information on safety and health and spicy details – but with many products that consumers can buy. MAHA Action, a group dedicated to the support of President Donald Trump’s MAHA Agenda, celebrated the Great American Cotton Plan on social media. True believers can fill their shopping trolley in the MAHA Action online shop, equipped with a handful of T-shirts made of organic cotton and also plenty of polyester.