New bill to boost Ag land security against foreign threats

By Blake Jackson

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has joined a bipartisan coalition of Senators to support new legislation aimed at increasing oversight of foreign adversaries' acquisitions of U.S. agricultural land.

The proposed Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 seeks to enhance scrutiny of farmland transactions involving entities from countries such as China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran by incorporating the Secretary of Agriculture into the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Senator Baldwin emphasized the importance of Wisconsin’s agricultural sector, stating, “Wisconsin’s farmland and agricultural businesses are not only central to our state’s identity, they move our Made in Wisconsin economy forward, create jobs in our communities, and put our state on the map with world-class exports.”

She further asserted her commitment to safeguarding the state's agricultural industry, saying, “I’m committed to ensuring the Badger State continues to be an agricultural powerhouse in the future, and that includes defending our farmland from foreign adversaries that threaten our food and national security. I’m proud to work with Democrats and Republicans to protect our communities from bad actors like China and ensure our Made in Wisconsin agricultural economy stays strong for the next generation.”

Baldwin’s advocacy for restricting foreign ownership of American agricultural land is not new. She has previously championed the bipartisan Farmland Security Act, which enhances transparency and oversight of foreign land acquisitions, and has also supported the AFIDA Improvements Act of 2024, aimed at strengthening reporting and enforcement related to foreign investments in U.S. farmland.

The Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 proposes to permanently add the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS for transactions involving agricultural land, biotech, or the processing of agricultural products.

It also authorizes the Secretary to report transactions involving foreign entities from the aforementioned countries, as well as those requiring AFIDA reporting to CFIUS.

This legislation, spearheaded by Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), has garnered support from Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Joe Manchin (I-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and others.

It has been introduced in the House by Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) and has passed the House Rules Committee, moving forward to the House floor for a final vote.

Photo Credit: istock-alenamozhjer