Foreign investments in U.S. agricultural lands raise alarms in Washington
CSG East analysis cited in Financial Times article
CSG East provided analysis for this article from fDi Intelligence. You can read the full article on their website.
While they are not one of the top-ten holders of US private farmland, the rising interest of Chinese companies in domestic farmland has spooked lawmakers at [the state level].
On February 17, Arizona became the first state to pass legislation that specifically inhibits the CCP from purchasing private or public land in the state.
In 2023 alone, 58 similar bills have been proposed at state level that would restrict foreign ownership of agricultural land in the US, according to figures by the Council of State Governments (CSG), a region-based forum that connects states’ policymakers. However, Arizona remains the only place where such legislation has been enacted into law.
Read the full article from fDi Intelligence, a service of The Financial Times.
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However, new limitations to the foreign ownership of US farmland may be reflected in the 2023 Farm Bill, the most comprehensive US legislation that funds the nation’s food and agricultural system, which is redrafted every five years.
“There is speculation that this issue of foreign ownership of US agricultural land might make its way into the 2023 Farm Bill, and additional federal restrictions might result,” says Tara Sad, agriculture and rural affairs advisor for CSG East.