Almost each state within the nation has seen a rise in overseas pursuits proudly owning farmland since 2014, in response to USDA information.
International nations and pursuits personal greater than 45 million acres of farmland within the nation, which accounts for simply over 3% of the nation’s personal farmland, however the variety of agricultural acres owned by overseas pursuits elevated by 67% from 2014 to 2023.
Whereas Texas, Colorado and Maine have the most important quantity of foreign-owned agricultural land within the U.S., different states have seen dramatic will increase up to now 10 years.
International-owned farmland in Nebraska elevated 5 instances since 2014 – from greater than 153,000 acres to 936,000 in 2023. In Oklahoma, foreign-owned ag land has almost quadrupled in the identical time – growing from greater than 371,000 to 1.8 million over that very same time interval.
Half of the states have imposed legal guidelines that ban overseas possession, however approaches fluctuate by state. Congress has proposed particular bans on corporations with ties to China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran.
North Korea owns no U.S. farmland whereas Iranian and Russian pursuits maintain roughly 3,000 acres as of 2023, nearly all of which is owned by Iran, in response to USDA information.
China solely owns a sliver of land within the U.S., in response to USDA information. China owns lower than 1% in comparison with Canada, which owns one-third of farmland within the nation.
Chinese language-owned corporations held greater than 277,000 acres of U.S. farmland in 2023, with the majority managed by Syngenta Seeds, Smithfield Meals – a pork processor – and a non-public photo voltaic panel agency.
Talking earlier this yr on the Ag Leaders dinner in Iowa, an annual gathering of agricultural trade, state commissioners and federal officers, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins stated her company and President Donald Trump are focusing on Chinese language-owned farmland bans, calling it a menace to nationwide safety and financial prosperity.
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