Foreign Ownership of U.S. Agricultural Land Increases

Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land increased by 1.6 million acres from 2022 to 2023, totaling approximately 45.58 million acres or 3.61% of privately held agricultural land. Canadian investors remain the largest stakeholders, holding about 33.5% of this foreign-owned land, while the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom also have significant shares. The rise in foreign ownership is largely attributed to renewable energy projects, which accounted for 54% of the recent increase. Conversely, Chinese ownership has decreased by 11% to 277,336 acres, reflecting ongoing concerns about national and food security. Critics argue that increasing foreign investment could inflate land prices and limit access for domestic farmers. As debates over foreign ownership continue, states are considering legislation to restrict these investments, particularly from adversarial nations.