Our nation has about 900 million acres of farmland. By law, foreign persons holding agricultural land are required to report it to the government. By 2022, foreign investors owned 3% - or nearly 38 million acres - of farm, ranch, and forest land in the U.S. Most of this land is located in Texas, Maine, Oklahoma, Colorado, Alabama, and Missouri. About half of these foreign investors reside in Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and England. Chinese corporations have spent the last decade also buying American agribusiness companies. Chinese investors hold 352,140 acres of American farmland, or about 1% of total foreign ownership. Recent Chinese purchases include land in North Dakota near an Air Force base that is home to top-secret drone technology.

Critics claim foreign-owned farmland could pose a threat to national security, including the potential for a country such as China to gain control over our food production, pricing and supply chains. In 2022, China purchased the Smithfield Foods pork producer in Missouri, which during the pandemic, increased pork exports to China even as the United States experienced widespread meat shortages due to supply chain disruptions. Furthermore, some of the largest groups of foreign investors are renewable energy companies, prompting concerns that farmland is being removed from agricultural production. Some states have laws limiting foreign countries from buying American farmland, but no state prohibits foreign investment outright.

Pending Legislation: S.168 - Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security Act or PASS Act of 2023
Sponsor: Sen. Mike Rounds (SD)
Status: Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Chairperson: Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)