- $24 million in lobbying. Syngenta and Smithfield have spent more than $24 million lobbying Washington since their Chinese takeovers. That includes lobbying on the Farm Bill, pesticide regulation, and foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.
- Hiding China's stake in their lobbying. Federal lobbying law requires reports to disclose any foreign entity with an interest in the issues lobbied. On 29 straight quarterly reports since 2019, Smithfield's lobbyists answered "None" or left that line blank. Syngenta's own reports have left the same line blank since at least 2017. Two outside firms Syngenta hired in 2025 listed no foreign owner at all.
- Nearly $2.5 million in political money. China-owned Smithfield and Syngenta's PACs gave $1.7 million to federal candidates and committees and $530,000 to state candidates. Syngenta also gave $250,000 to President Trump's inaugural committee.
- 139 sitting members of Congress kept the money. At least 39 lawmakers took money from both China-tied PACs. They include House Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA) and Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman (R-AR).
- Syngenta's agenda advanced. After Syngenta's $250,000 inaugural gift and aggressive lobbying, the final MAHA strategy dropped Syngenta's weed killer atrazine by name. EPA also approved two new Syngenta pesticides that critics classify as "forever chemicals."
- Smithfield's Farm Bill priority pursued. Lawmakers like House Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) who received contributions from Smithfield's PAC and their pork industry lobby group have led efforts to push the widely opposed Save Our Bacon Act. The bill would overturn state farm animal welfare laws.
- USDA fails to follow through on pledge to claw back Smithfield and Syngenta farmland. In July 2025, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins vowed to "claw back" U.S. farmland held by Smithfield and Syngenta. CRFB found no federal action since.
"Americans deserve to know that Chinese-owned agribusiness giants Smithfield and Syngenta, are spending big in Washington to influence ag policy and tighten their grip on our food supply. But our new investigation found that Smithfield and Syngenta's lobbyists have systematically hidden how China stands to benefit from their lobbying on the Farm Bill, pesticide regulation, and foreign ownership of U.S. farmland," said Taylor Warren, President of the Center for Responsible Food Business. "Every sitting lawmaker who took campaign cash from these companies' PACs should show their constituents they put Americans first by returning that money, and Congress should refer the companies' lobbyists who hid their Chinese ties to the Justice Department."
CRFB is calling on all 139 currently serving lawmakers who received the companies' PAC contributions after the Chinese acquisitions to return the money or donate it to charity. Two Republicans, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), have already done so.
CRFB is also calling on the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House to refer the companies' lobbyists and their noncompliant filings to the U.S. Justice Department.
About the Center for Responsible Food Business
The Center for Responsible Food Business is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility to build a better food system. Through industry engagement, research, and consumer education efforts, the Center works to advance practices that benefit all stakeholders from the farm to the dinner table.
Media Contact
Taylor Warren: [email protected]
SOURCE Center for Responsible Food Business
Share this article