By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

A bill was reintroduced to help protect American agriculture from foreign interference.

The Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act would combat foreign interference in American agriculture by making reforms to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

The legislation was reintroduced by U.S. Reps. Ronny Jackson, Pete Sessions and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, along with and Jimmy Panetta of California.

“America’s agricultural industry is no exception to the increasing national security threats our country faces,” Jackson said. “Representing Texas’s top agricultural-producing district, I am committed to ensuring our nation’s food production remains free from foreign manipulation. This is why I am proud to reintroduce the FARM Act, putting America first and ensuring that our agricultural industry remains robust, secure, and free from foreign interference.”

Data from American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) shows that foreign owned ag land in the U.S. has increased by 1.6 million acres.

In Texas, foreign ownership of ag land is at about 5.3 million acres or 3.41%, which is slightly higher than the national average of 3.1%, according to AFBF.

“Foreign investment in the American agriculture industry continues to grow at a rapid pace,” Sessions said. “The United States farmland is a critical piece of infrastructure and should continue to be recognized as such. Our food insecurity is a matter of national security. The FARM Act will give us the opportunity to better combat maligned foreign investments in agriculture and protect the American people.”

These reforms would protect American land from nefarious activity by adversaries, such as China.

A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and John Fetterman (D-PA).

“Over the last decade, we’ve seen a surge of American farmland purchases from our foreign adversaries,” Tuberville said. “These foreign investments are now reaching every piece of the very large puzzle that makes up our agriculture industry, from farming and processing to packaging and shipping. Food security is national security, and we cannot allow our adversaries to have a foot in the door to our critical supply chains. We must prioritize oversight of foreign investment in our food supply chains, especially from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. This starts with giving the agriculture community a permanent seat at the table on CFIUS.”

The FARM Act and companion bill has support from Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).

“Texas Farm Bureau applauds Sen. Tommy Tuberville and U.S. Congressman Ronny Jackson for introducing the FARM Act,” TFB President Russell Boening said. “As Texas has experienced a surge of foreign investors buying agricultural land, it is critical to provide proper oversight to ensure our national security. We are pleased this bill accomplishes this goal, while in-turn protecting private property rights of landowners who wish to sell their property. TFB appreciates these Congressional leaders for their steadfast leadership on this issue, and we look forward to working with them to secure passage of this bipartisan legislation.”

The bill text can be found here.