A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, led by Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), introduced the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024.
This legislation aims to bolster national security by adding the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to provide enhanced oversight on foreign acquisitions of U.S. farmland and agricultural industries, particularly from adversarial nations like China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran.
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The bill is a response to growing concerns over the increase in foreign ownership of U.S. farmland, with over 43.4 million acres currently owned by foreign entities, according to the USDA. Lawmakers argue that adversarial nations could leverage this ownership to compromise U.S. food security and national interests.
“Chinese ownership of American farmland increased more than 20-fold in the past decade. The amount of American soil in the hands of our foreign adversaries will only go up if we do not implement restrictions and oversight, especially on nations that compromise our national security and agricultural supply chains. I’m proud to lead this effort to protect American farms and food security,” said Sen. Mike Braun.
The bill also received support from other bipartisan senators, including Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who emphasized that foreign control of U.S. land jeopardizes economic opportunities and national safety.
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Key Provisions of the Bill:
- Inclusion of the Secretary of Agriculture on CFIUS to oversee foreign transactions involving U.S. agricultural land, biotechnology, and the transportation and processing of agricultural products.
- Authorization for the Secretary of Agriculture to report foreign land transactions involving China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran to CFIUS.
The Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 has garnered support from agricultural organizations, including the Indiana Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Growers Association, and the National Cattleman’s Beef Association.
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives, which is expected to be considered later this week.
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“Food security is national security, and for too long, the federal government has allowed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to put our security at risk by turning a blind eye to their steadily increasing purchases of American farmland. It is not enough to just discuss this issue—we must take immediate action to stop the CCP from further encroachment. By adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS, we can ensure much-needed oversight of agricultural land purchases by foreign adversaries, which will protect American farmers and the industry as a whole. The Chinese Communist Party has long sought to undermine our institutions and very way of life, and I am proud to lead this effort to support farmers in Central Washington and across the nation,” said Newhouse.
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