An amendment by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4) to prevent foreign adversaries from owning America’s farmland passed unanimously in the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.
Specifically, Newhouse’s amendment to the fiscal year 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations bill would prohibit the purchase of agricultural land in the U.S. by companies owned, in whole or in part, by China, Russia, North Korea or Iran.
According to a USDA Farm Service Agency report, through the end of 2020, foreign investors held an interest in nearly 37.6 million acres of U.S. forest and farmland. Canadian investors own the largest amount of reported foreign-held agricultural and nonagricultural land, with 32 percent, or 12.4 million acres, and China holds 352,140 acres, slightly less than 1 percent. Currently, six states ban foreign ownership of farmland, and Newhouse said restrictions on Chinese land ownership can be circumvented.
The amendment also makes Chinese-owned farmland ineligible for farm programs.
