Lawmakers demand solutions from FFA over Chinese language Communist Celebration ties

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Federal lawmakers are demanding solutions from the Nationwide Future Farmers of America (FFA) over its partnership with a Chinese language Communist Celebration-controlled agribusiness and its push for DEI initiatives, citing national security concerns and questions on its tax-exempt standing.

The inquiry is being led by the Home Methods and Means Committee and the Congressional FFA Caucus, which say the group’s relationship with Syngenta Group raises issues about international affect and whether or not FFA is working consistent with its said mission as a tax-exempt nonprofit.

Home Methods and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith and Congressional FFA Caucus co-chair Tracey Mann despatched a letter to Nationwide FFA CEO Scott Stump demanding paperwork and solutions associated to the partnership, Syngenta’s position in shaping inside insurance policies and the group’s compliance with federal tax regulation.

"Working with our nation’s international adversaries and prioritizing woke insurance policies over your mission raises critical issues concerning whether or not the Nationwide FFA is complying with the necessities to take care of tax-exempt standing," the lawmakers wrote.

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Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., is demanding solutions from the Nationwide FFA over its partnership with a CCP-linked agribusiness citing nationwide safety tax standing and international affect issues. (Tom Williams)

Within the letter, the committee emphasised FFA’s position in educating future agricultural leaders , noting the group serves a couple of million college students via 1000's of chapters throughout the nation.

The lawmakers devoted a good portion of the letter to detailing Syngenta Group’s possession construction and its ties to the Chinese language authorities, arguing the connection raises purple flags for a U.S.-based, tax-exempt youth group tied to agriculture.

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

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/672/378/national-ffa-china-syngenta-congressional-probe-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1344/756/national-ffa-china-syngenta-congressional-probe-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/931/523/national-ffa-china-syngenta-congressional-probe-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/02/1862/1046/national-ffa-china-syngenta-congressional-probe-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Lawmakers devoted a good portion of the letter to outlining the Syngenta Group's ties to the Chinese language authorities. (Li He/Xinhua through Getty Photographs)

Each ChemChina and Sinochem have been designated in the course of the first Trump administration as Communist Chinese language navy corporations, a classification used to establish corporations linked to Beijing’s military-civil fusion technique and limit their entry to U.S. authorities funding.

Lawmakers famous that whereas these designations have been eliminated in 2021 underneath the Biden administration, Syngenta was later redesignated as a Chinese language navy firm, underscoring ongoing issues about its ties to the Chinese language state.

The letter additionally pointed to actions by U.S. states and federal companies to limit Chinese ownership and affect in American agriculture. It included efforts to drive Syngenta subsidiaries to divest farmland and initiatives geared toward stopping the sale of U.S. agricultural land to Chinese language entities on nationwide safety grounds.

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Lawmakers additionally expressed concern over the affect a Chinese language state-owned firm might exert over future agricultural management. (Ken Ishii - Pool/Getty Photographs)

Towards that backdrop, lawmakers stated Syngenta’s entry to FFA management, programming and college students raises issues concerning the affect a Chinese language state-owned firm might exert over future American agricultural leaders.

"The CCP has a well-documented historical past of financial espionage to steal biotechnology and agriculture-related mental property, and the truth that the Nationwide FFA has offered one among their state-owned corporations direct entry to the long run leaders of America’s farming trade is alarming," the letter states.

The lawmakers additionally criticized FFA’s embrace of DEI initiatives , arguing the applications danger shifting the group away from agricultural schooling and towards identity-based priorities that would divide college students.

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They questioned whether or not Syngenta’s position in DEI-related efforts gave the corporate undue affect over FFA’s strategic route.

"The aim of the Nationwide FFA must be to carry pupil members collectively as a group — not drive them into particular classes," the lawmakers wrote.

Smith and Mann stated the inquiry is a part of broader congressional oversight of tax-exempt organizations and their publicity to international affect, notably as farm and meals safety are more and more considered as issues of nationwide safety.

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Home Methods and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith and Rep. Tracey Mann cited remarks by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins that "farm safety is nationwide safety." (Brandon Bell/Getty Photographs)

Smith and Mann cited a press release from USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins that "farm safety is nationwide safety."

In the end, the letter directs Nationwide FFA to show over paperwork and supply detailed solutions about its partnership with Syngenta Group, together with contracts and monetary contributions, the position Syngenta workers play in management or advisory positions, and the corporate’s involvement in shaping FFA’s variety and strategic applications.

In a press release offered to Fox Information Digital, Smith stated the committee is increasing its investigation to incorporate the FFA over issues about international affect and its impression on the group’s mission.

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"The Methods and Means Committee is increasing our investigation into the malign international affect within the U.S. tax-exempt sector to incorporate the FFA in mild of deeply regarding experiences that the group has maintained ties to an entity managed by the Chinese language Communist Celebration — a relationship that seems to have influenced its decision-making," Smith stated. "The FFA performs an important position in educating the following era of farmers, strengthening American agriculture, and safeguarding our nation’s meals provide and nationwide safety. That necessary mission should not be compromised."