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MORE ABOUT CONGRESS' DEMANDS ON FFA/SYNGENTA RELATIONSHIP
Feb. 9, 2026
AgDaily.com reports:
House Republicans are demanding records from the National FFA Organization about its partnership with Syngenta Group, arguing the agribusiness' Chinese state ownership and the youth group's diversity initiatives could jeopardize FFA's mission -- and, potentially, its tax-exempt status.
In a Feb. 3 letter to National FFA CEO Scott Stump, Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith of Missouri, Oversight Subcommittee Chairman David Schweikert of Arizona, and Rep. Tracey Mann of Kansas, a co-chair of the Congressional FFA Caucus, said they were alarmed by "concerning features" of the organization's "programs and operations," including a relationship with what they called "Chinese Communist Party ('CCP') controlled Syngenta Group" and a push to prioritize "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts."
To view the letter click here.
The lawmakers framed the inquiry as part of the Ways and Means Committee's jurisdiction over tax-exempt entities, noting the National FFA operates as a 501(c)(3). They pointed to IRS rules and longstanding court precedent, writing that if "more than an insubstantial part" of an organization's activities falls outside exempt purposes, it is not operated "exclusively" for those purposes, and quoting the Supreme Court: "the presence of a single [nonexempt] purpose, if substantial in nature, will destroy the exemption."
National FFA's stated mission is to help young people "achieve leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education," the letter said, adding that the organization guides over one million student members in more than nine thousand chapters nationwide. The lawmakers argued that "working with our nation's foreign adversaries and prioritizing woke policies over your mission raises serious concerns" about compliance with tax-exempt requirements.
At the center of the letter is Syngenta's ownership and U.S. national-security concerns about farmland and agricultural influence. The lawmakers said Syngenta became a wholly owned subsidiary of China National Chemical Corp., known as ChemChina, after the 2017 acquisition, and described Sinochem Holdings (formed through a 2021 merger) as a Chinese state-owned conglomerate with major interests in agrochemicals.
To read the entire article click here.
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