Feenstra

In Iowa, we recognize that our rich soil is one of our most precious resources, making our farmland the envy of the world. In drafting the Farm Bill in the House Agriculture Committee, it was critical to make protecting our food supply, rural communities, and national security one of its central pillars. We have seen how a previous lack of oversight of foreign ownership of agricultural land has created vulnerabilities that we simply cannot ignore.

That’s why I introduced the Foreign Agricultural Restrictions to Maintain Local Agriculture and National Defense (FARMLAND) Act and am pleased that this legislation is now included in the Farm Bill, which passed out of the House Agriculture Committee. This commonsense proposal takes meaningful steps to ensure that American farmland stays in the hands of American farmers for the next generation.

The FARMLAND Act strengthens oversight by authorizing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review and monitor foreign purchases or leases that exceed $5 million or 320 acres. It also requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and Homeland Security to issue an annual report identifying any national security risks tied to foreign investment in U.S. farmland. Just as importantly, it directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create a public database, so Americans know exactly who owns our agricultural land.

This transparency will ensure we have the confidence to know exactly who owns our agricultural land and where foreign investments are being concentrated, such as around U.S. military facilities. This improves accountability while ensuring that potential risks are identified and addressed early.

President Trump has already taken action to implement some of the needed reforms that the FARMLAND Act champions, and we are beginning to see results. The USDA has started to streamline and modernize reporting through a new online portal under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act. Passing the FARMLAND Act into law is essential, as it will codify and strengthen these efforts to permanently ensure accountability.

These reforms come at an essential time. Nearly half of all U.S. farmland is expected to change hands in the next two decades. Without these proper safeguards, foreign adversaries like China could gain a foothold in our agricultural sector, putting unnecessary pressure on Iowa farmers who are already struggling with rising input costs, regulations, and inflation.

Further, the impact of foreign ownership of farmland does not stop at the farmgate, it threatens the integrity of our federal farm programs. This legislation further ensures that foreign-owned land cannot benefit from federal farm programs, closing another loophole in the system that wastes taxpayer dollars.

Passing the FARMLAND Act in the Farm Bill is an important step toward protecting American farmers. By increasing transparency, strengthening enforcement, and putting American farmers first, we protect our farmland, strengthen our economy, and our national security for the next generation.

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Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, represents Iowa’s Fourth District in the U.S. House and is a candidate for govenor.