Senator Marshall Leads Bicameral Effort Against China’s Growing Influence in Food and Agriculture

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. and U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) led their colleagues in sending a bicameral letter to President Biden, urging him to reject a proposal before the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Council that would alter governance and leadership arrangements at the FAO, strengthen China’s position in the organization, and weaken American agricultural leadership on the world stage.

If adopted, the new governance would extend the FAO Director-General’s maximum tenure to ten years, boost the Director-General’s annual salary and allowance, and increase the FAO’s control over the U.S.-led World Food Programme. Senator Marshall and his colleagues expressed their concerns that adopting the proposal would expand China’s influence in the organization and advance foreign policy goals that threaten the United States.

“When as many as 700 million people face hunger globally and manmade global conflicts are on the rise, this proposal de-emphasizes any of FAO’s successful efforts to achieve food security and allows China to expand its global influence by taking advantage of America as it transitions political administrations,” the Members wrote. “America cannot afford to sit idly by – even in a time of political transition – while China positions itself to expand its influence over a body to which our nation belongs.”

The Members concluded, “We urge you to position American farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers as the global leader in food and agriculture and to represent our country’s production and ideals across the globe.”

Senator Marshall and Representative Mann were joined on the letter by U.S. Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Risch (R-ID), and U.S. Representatives Brad Finstad (MN-01), John Moolenaar (MI-02), and Reps. Austin Scott  (GA-08), Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), David Rouzer (NC-07), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Mary Miller (IL-15), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Trent Kelly (MS-01), and Mark Alford (MO-04).

Full text of the letter can be found here.