FFA Bars Christian Farmer Group From National Expo Over ‘Religious Affiliation,’ Failure To Hit DEI Goals

The largest student-led youth organization in U.S. agriculture barred the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International (FCFI) from participating in the 2026 National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis later this month, solely for its religion. Christian legal organization Liberty Counsel filed a demand letter on FCFI’s behalf.

The National Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization denied FCFI exhibit space, stating that FFA policy bars groups with “religious affiliations” from eligibility to exhibit. For decades prior to 2018, the FCFI, a non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to connect faith and agriculture, had been exhibiting at the FFA’s national expo. But around 2018, it was “disinvited” for not aligning with FFA’s “diversity, equity, and inclusion” expected goals. Although FCFI is permitted to exhibit at certain FFA events, it has been barred from any National Expo events.