Heartland Health Research Alliance Ltd

We envision a new future--one rooted in flourishing farms where agriculture is managed, first and foremost, to cultivate health. Our mission is to inform the decisions that shape agriculture by advancing research on the health effects of food and farming. During the next three years we will advance our mission by:
1. Supporting research to determine whether widely used weed-killing herbicides affect reproductive and children’s health.
2. Sharing data and scientifically sound findings to equip farmers, the food industry, and policy makers to adopt farming-system practices that promote the health of people and the planet.

HHRA’s flagship project, The Heartland Study, is an observational medical research project taking place at hospitals in the 13-state Heartland region. The Heartland Study is designed to answer critical questions about the potential impacts of herbicides on mother and infant health, including whether there is a connection between herbicide exposure and birth defects or developmental challenges. This work is crucial due to the ongoing, rapid increase in the use of several high-risk herbicides that began in 2016. The rising use of herbicides shows little sign of slowing, driven by the continuing spread of herbicide-resistant weeds.

We will:
1. Enroll at least 2,000 mother-infant pairs living in 13 Midwestern states by 2025.
2. Collect ~10,000 urine samples to track herbicide and insecticide exposure levels in moms, dads, and babies.
3. Document women’s health during pregnancy and the health and development of Heartland Study babies through age 16.