Lawmakers demand answers from FFA over Chinese Communist Party ties

Federal lawmakers are demanding answers from the Future National Farmers of America (FFA) about its partnership with a Chinese Communist Party-controlled agribusiness and its crackdown on DEI initiatives, citing national security concerns and questions about its tax-exempt status.

The investigation is being led by the House Ways and Means Committee and the Congressional FFA Caucus, which said the agency’s relationship with Syngenta Group raises concerns about outside influence and whether FFA is operating in accordance with its stated mission as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith and Congressional FFA Caucus co-chair Tracey Mann sent a letter to National FFA CEO Scott Stump requesting documents and answers regarding the partnership, Syngenta’s role in shaping domestic policies and the organization’s compliance with federal tax law.

“Working with our nation’s xenophobes and prioritizing woke politics over your mission raises serious concerns about whether National FFA complies with requirements to maintain tax-exempt status,” the lawmakers wrote.

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In the letter, the committee emphasized FFA’s role in preparing future agricultural leaders and noted that the organization serves more than one million students through thousands of chapters across the country.

The lawmakers, who devoted a significant portion of the letter to detailing Syngenta Group’s ownership structure and ties to the Chinese government, argued that the relationship raises red flags for a U.S.-based, tax-exempt youth organization with ties to agriculture.

Syngenta has been wholly owned since 2017 by China National Chemical Corp., or ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned enterprise that later merged with Sinochem Holdings.

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Lawmakers devoted a significant portion of the letter to outlining Syngenta Group’s ties to the Chinese government. (Li He/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Both ChemChina and Sinochem were designated as Communist Chinese military companies during the first Trump administration; this was a classification used to identify firms linked to Beijing’s military-civil fusion strategy and restrict their access to U.S. government funding.

Lawmakers noted that under the Biden administration, these designations were removed in 2021, but Syngenta was later redefined as a Chinese military company, underscoring ongoing concerns about its ties to the Chinese state.

The letter also noted actions by US states and federal agencies to limit China’s ownership and influence in American agriculture. This included efforts to force Syngenta subsidiaries to divest farmland and attempts to block the sale of U.S. farmland to Chinese entities on national security grounds.

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Lawmakers also expressed concern about the impact a Chinese state-owned company could have on future agricultural leadership. (Ken Ishii – Pool/Getty Images)

Against this backdrop, lawmakers said Syngenta’s access to FFA leadership, programs and students raises concerns about the influence a Chinese state-owned company could have on future American agricultural leaders.

“The CCP has a well-documented history of economic espionage to steal intellectual property related to biotechnology and agriculture, and the fact that National FFA provided one of its state-owned companies with direct access to the future leaders of America’s agricultural industry is alarming,” the letter says.

Lawmakers have also criticized FFA’s embrace of DEI initiatives, arguing that the programs risk shifting the institution away from agricultural education and toward identity-based priorities that could divide students.

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They questioned whether Syngenta’s role in DEI-related efforts gave the company undue influence over FFA’s strategic direction.

“The purpose of the National FFA should be to bring student members together as a community, not to force them into specific categories,” the lawmakers wrote.

Smith and Mann said the investigation is part of a broader congressional oversight of tax-exempt organizations and their exposure to foreign influence, especially as farm and food safety are increasingly viewed as national security issues.

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House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith and Rep. Tracey Mann cited USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ remarks that “farm security is national security.” (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Smith and Mann cited USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ statement that “farm security is national security.”

As a result, the letter directs National FFA to turn over documents and provide detailed responses about its partnership with Syngenta Group, including its contracts and financial contributions, the role Syngenta employees play in leadership or advisory positions, and the company’s involvement in shaping FFA’s diversity and strategic programs.

The committee expanded its investigation to include FFA due to concerns about outside influence and its impact on the organization’s mission, Smith told Fox News Digital.

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“The Ways and Means Committee is expanding our investigation into malicious foreign influence in the U.S. tax-exempt sector to include FFA in light of highly concerning reports that the organization maintains ties to an entity controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, a relationship that appears to have influenced its decision-making,” Smith said. “FFA plays a vital role in educating the next generation of farmers, strengthening American agriculture, and protecting our nation’s food supply and national security. This important mission must not be compromised.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to National FFA for comment.