National Corn Growers Association

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The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is "a membership organization and a federation of states" that exists to "create and increase opportunities for corn growers."[1] It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(5) organization,[2] which means it is tax exempt as a "labor, agricultural, or horticultural organization."[3] 501(c)(5) may engage in unlimited lobbying related to the organization's exempt purpose and may engage in political campaigns for or against candidates "provided that such intervention does not constitute the organization's primary activity."[4]

In the words of the NCGA, "Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association represents approximately 35,000 dues-paying corn growers and the interests of more than 300,000 farmers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its 48 affiliated state associations and checkoff organizations work together to help protect and advance corn growers’ interests.[5]

Rebranding High Fructose Corn Syrup

The NCGA site refers to "corn sugar" in a screenshot taken September 30, 2011

As consumers reject high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and manufacturers begin producing foods made with sugar instead of HFCS, NCGA is joining the Corn Refiners Association in its bid to rebrand HFCS as "corn sugar."

2012 Farm Bill Positions

In 2011, NCGA revealed a proposal for the 2012 Farm Bill to create a program called the Agriculture Disaster Assistance Program (ADAP).[6][7] The program would be complimentary to crop insurance, which would remain in place under the proposal. However, it would replace the ACRE program that was put in place in the 2008 Farm Bill.[8][9]

Position on Corn Ethanol

A "current action alert" for its members provides text for a letter to representatives claiming that, "as for the Food vs. Fuel issue your colleagues are trying to drum up once more, it's been proven time and time again that ethanol had little to do with food prices," and that "the ethanol industry is saving money for American consumers and producing jobs during a time of financial difficulty for rural America." Yet even in 2001, Cornell ecologist David Pimentel stated, "Abusing our precious croplands to grow corn for an energy-inefficient process that yields low-grade automobile fuel amounts to unsustainable, subsidized food burning."[10]

"Corn Farmers Coalition"

NCGA is affiliated with the "Corn Farmers Coalition" (CFC). The CFC website says, "The Corn Farmers Coalition is an alliance of the National Corn Growers Association and 14 state corn associations . . ." It formed in 2008 to lobby at the federal level "about how tech-savvy, innovative farmers are growing more corn every year . . ."[11]

As indicated by its website, CFC exists primarily to counter observations like Pimentel's (above) regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of growing corn for ethanol. The CFC website argues that "this debate is bogus" because commodity crop growers can grow plenty of corn: "Farmers grew the second-largest corn crop on record last year, enough to export a fifth and even set aside lots of corn in case America needs it later. There will be plenty of reasonably priced corn . . ."[11] -- suggesting that the argument was solely about production and price rather than about energy-efficiency, waste, and poverty as well.

Board

The board consists of:[12]

Management and Staff

Management and staff are as follows:[13]

Executive and Administration:

Marketing:

Production and Utilization

Public Policy (Washington Office):

Contact Information

  • St. Louis/Headquarters
  • 632 Cepi Drive
  • Chesterfield, MO 63005
  • Ph: (636) 733-9004
  • Fax: (636) 733-9005
  • Email: corninfo@ncga.com
  • Web: http://www.ncga.com/
  • Washington Office
  • 122 C Street, N.W., Suite 510
  • Washington, DC 20001
  • Ph: (202) 628-7001
  • Fax: (202) 628-1933

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. Mission Vision, Accessed September 14, 2011.
  2. National Corn Growers Association, 2011 Form 990, organizational IRS filing, February 7, 2013.
  3. Internal Revenue Service, IRC 501(c)(5) Organizations, U.S. governmental agency technical instruction program document, FY 2003.
  4. Internal Revenue Service, Political Campaign and Lobbying Activities of IRC 501(c)(4), (c)(5), and (c)(6) Organizations, U.S. governmental agency technical instruction program document, FY 2003.
  5. Bart Schott, accessed September 14, 2011.
  6. Interview with Bart Schott, AgriTalk, September 15, 2011.
  7. Julie Harker, "NCGA proposes ADAP for ’12 Farm Bill," Brownfield, September 12, 2011, Accessed September 30, 2011.
  8. NCGA Unveils Proposal for 2012 Farm Bill, National Corn Growers Assocation, September 12, 2011, Accessed September 30, 2011.
  9. Jason Vance, "NCGA Releases Farm Bill Proposal," Farm Futures, September 13, 2011, Accessed September 30, 2011.
  10. Roger Segelken, scientist terms corn-based ethanol 'subsidized food burning', Cornell Chronicle, August 23, 2001, accessed May 2012.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Corn Famers Coalition, About Us, coalition website, accessed September 2013.
  12. Corn Board, Accessed September 14, 2011.
  13. NCGA Staff, Accessed September 14, 2011.

External resources

External articles