Over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) joined Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA) – who is the top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee – and several of his Republican colleagues in demanding a full report on foreign ownership of American farmland from the Government Accountability Office.
“With nearly 900 million acres of farmland in the United States, it is critical that we know how much land foreign countries like China own in our backyards,” said Rep. Feenstra. “American farmers should not have to compete with foreign investors and our geopolitical adversaries for fertile land to plant their crops and earn a living. As a strong advocate for our farmers and producers, I am committed to ensuring that American farmland belongs to American farmers.”
While traveling to every county at least twice a year on his 39 County Tour, Feenstra has heard countless concerns from Iowans about foreign ownership of American farmland, prompting his strong support of this letter.
According to recent data, foreign entities own 37.6 million acres of U.S. farmland, which is greater than the total amount of farmland in the entire state of Iowa.
You can find the full letter HERE.
