At least a baker’s dozen of states are considering new restrictions on the ownership of farmland by foreign entities connected to both China and other nations considered hostile to American interests. But those restrictions would deprive the United States farm sector of fresh investment while doing nothing to guard national security.
Despite the recent upsurge in concern, China remains a bit player in the ownership of U.S. farmland. In fact, foreigners of any nationality account for a small share of farmland ownership in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 3.1 percent of privately owned cropland, forest, pasture and other agricultural land in the U.S. at the end of 2021 was owned by foreign nationals.
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