U.S. Lawmakers Continue To Push Bill To Restrict Foreign-Owned Farmland

Following recent acquisitions of U.S. farmland by Chinese buyers, which are a major concern, bipartisan lawmakers are calling for tighter regulations to restrict foreign-ownership of U.S. farmland.

 The House and Senate are introducing a bill this week to increase scrutiny of farmland acquisitions by non-U.S. companies by bringing the U.S. agricultural sector under the jurisdiction of a federal commission that reviews secure investments, while proposing to include the Secretary of Agriculture on the commission. The goal of this bill is to protect the supply chain of U.S. agriculture from foreign interference. Bryan Griffin, secretary of state for Florida, has previously proposed legislative action to prohibit foreign buyers, including China, from purchasing U.S. agricultural land and land around military bases. The farm bill, which comes up every five years and will be introduced next year, is a package of legislation that addresses agriculture and food policy. To that end, a significant number of federal lawmakers have introduced bills since last year to address issues related to the economy and national security, including recognizing agriculture as critical infrastructure, giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) regular representation on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The bill would add an intelligence agency to the USDA and prohibit China-related entities from purchasing U.S. agricultural property.

 Rep. Elise Stefanik, a promoter of the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, argued that the United States cannot allow malign ownership bids of American assets by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to undermine the efforts of our farmers, whose hard work feeds and fuels our communities.