Bicameral, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) on March 6 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 Foreign Agricultural Restrictions to Maintain Local Agriculture and National Defense (FARMLAND) Act of 2025, S. 886/H.R. 1920, also would require the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to publish an annual report outlining any threats or national security risks of foreign investment in American farmland, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“For far too long, an outdated system has allowed China’s malign influence to threaten our security by buying up our nation’s land,” Sen. Ernst said. “Through the FARMLAND Act, I’m drawing a line in the sand to overhaul this flawed way of doing things, increase reporting and transparency, strengthen oversight of the influence of our foreign adversaries, and force the sale of foreign-owned land.
“It’s time to show the world we will do what it takes to protect our agriculture industry, our national security, and our food security,” added the senator.
Additionally, the proposed bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a public database of all farmland owned by foreign governments and other entities, and would limit foreign-owned or operated land from participating in federal programs, the summary says.
“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,” Rep. Feenstra said. “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.”
The congressman said he introduced the FARMLAND Act to develop new oversight measures for foreign farmland purchases, bolster the ability of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to report the threats of foreign acquisition of American farmland, and close security gaps that allow foreign adversaries to evade disclosing farmland purchases.
Sen. Ernst sponsored S. 886 with three original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), while Rep. Feenstra sponsored H.R. 1920 alongside six original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI).
Specifically, the bill would amend the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978, which was established to develop a nationwide system for collecting information on foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land.
The bill would expand the authority of CFIUS to include a new focus on food and agriculture to better safeguard U.S. national security interests, and add both the Agriculture Secretary and Commissioner of Food and Drugs as permanent members of CFIUS.
Toward increasing reporting and transparency and strengthening oversight over the influence of the nation’s foreign adversaries, the measure would modernize the AFIDA reporting process to better track foreign land ownership, and prohibit foreign-owned or operated land from being eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency programs.
Among other provisions, the bill would give Congress more oversight of the national security risks of foreign purchase and management of U.S. agricultural land.