The National FFA Organization released a statement saying it will cooperate with a congressional inquiry reviewing one of its corporate sponsors, while reaffirming its commitment to remaining nonpartisan and free from donor influence.
The youth agricultural education organization’s statement is as follows:
“The National FFA Organization is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that serves to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. While FFA accepts support from generous donors and sponsors throughout the agricultural and agri-business community, it does not and cannot advocate the views for any donor or sponsor. FFA has received a Congressional inquiry about one of our sponsors, and it intends to cooperate fully.”
At issue are allegations from select GOP lawmakers that FFA has ties to the Chinese Communist Party through a partnership with Chinese-owned Syngenta Group. FFA declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
The inquiry comes amid heightened scrutiny from some members of Congress over partnerships between U.S.-based nonprofits and companies with foreign ownership ties.
The inquiry is being led by the House Ways and Means Committee and the Congressional FFA Caucus, which say the organization’s relationship with the Syngenta Group raises concerns about foreign influence and whether the National FFA Organization is operating in line with its stated mission as a tax-exempt nonprofit.
Rep. Jason Smith, who serves as Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee; along with Rep. David Schweikert, Oversight Subcommittee Chairman; and Rep. Tracey Mann, who serves as FFA Caucus co-chair, sent a letter to Scott Stump, CEO of the National FFA Organization on Feb. 3, demanding documents and answers related to the partnership.
Smith, Schweikert, and Mann made the following statement in their letter:
“From the international funding sources and activities of tax-exempt entities in the U.S., and the role of certain organizations in fostering antisemitism in American society, the Committee has engaged in continuous oversight ensuring all tax-exempt organizations are abiding by their exempt status and are avoiding actions that may erode, evade, or violate the purposes for which their tax-exempt status was granted. The National FFA is an organization that is dedicated to educating America’s youth in ‘leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.’ This mission is critical to the future of American farming, as over one million student members, across more than nine thousand state and local chapters in the United States, look to the National FFA for guidance. Working with our nation’s foreign adversaries and prioritizing woke policies over your mission raises serious concerns regarding whether the National FFA is complying with the requirements to maintain tax-exempt status.
“Both the Committee and the FFA Caucus are working with the Trump Administration to prioritize both farm and food security within our national security infrastructure and ensure our future farmers—the ones that will be tasked with our nation’s food security—are best served by the organization federally chartered to educate them. As the United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated in the USDA National Farm Security Action plan — ‘Farm security is national security.’ ”
