Midland Daily News: U.S Reps. McDonald Rivet, Feenstra Introduce Bill To Protect Farmland from National Security Risks
Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet and Iowa Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra introduced the Foreign Agricultural Restrictions to Maintain Local Agriculture and National Defense (FARMLAND) Act on Friday.
The bipartisan legislation would authorize the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review all purchases or leases of American farmland by foreign entities that exceed $5 million or 320 acres.
The FARMLAND Act would also require the Secretaries of Agriculture and Homeland Security to publish an annual report outlining any threats or national security risks of foreign investment in American farmland, direct the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a public database of all farmland owned by foreign governments and other entities, and limit foreign-owned or operated land from participating in Farm Service Agency programs like the commodity programs.
“Allowing China or other foreign competitors to buy up large swaths of American farmland puts our national security and food supply at risk,” McDonald Rivet said. “This bill is a key step towards protecting American interests from falling into the hands of bad actors abroad, especially China.”
“It is in the interest of the United States to review purchases of American farmland by foreign entities to protect our farms and agricultural production from our foreign adversaries, especially China. But for far too long, our government has repeatedly failed to enforce the laws on the books, monitor foreign purchases of our farmland, or assess financial penalties on those who break our laws,” Feenstra said.
“That’s why I introduced the FARMLAND Act to develop new oversight measures for foreign farmland purchases, bolster the USDA’s ability to report the threats of foreign acquisition of American farmland, and close security gaps that allow foreign adversaries to evade disclosing farmland purchases. Born and raised in rural Iowa, I firmly believe that American farmland belongs to American farmers, and I will continue to lead the fight to protect our farmers and ensure that our farms are passed onto the next generation, not our foreign enemies," Feenstra continued.
Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) are introducing corresponding legislation in the Senate.
Under current law, the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) requires foreign investors who acquire, transfer, or hold any interest in American farmland to report holdings and transactions to the Secretary of Agriculture. However, enforcement of AFIDA has been virtually nonexistent. To highlight the lack of oversight, China’s ownership of American farmland increased by 30% between 2019 and 2020 alone. Modernizing the AFIDA reporting process through the FARMLAND Act provides the needed national security that farmers and rural communities deserve.
Additionally, as of September 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture had only assessed eight financial penalties against foreign investors since 2012.