Part 1:
Harvesting Control:
China’s Ownership
Part 1: Harvesting Control:
Why China’s Ownership of U.S. Farmland Should Alarm Every American
Imagine this: sprawling acres of American farmland and prime real estate sitting just a stone’s throw from some of the most sensitive military installations, telecommunication, transportation and other strategic sites in the country—owned not by patriotic farmers or local businesses, but by Chinese entities with ties to a government often at odds with U.S. interests.
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From the rolling plains of North Dakota near drone command centers to strategic airfields in Texas and naval hubs along the coasts, Chinese land purchases have quietly crept alarmingly close to our nation’s defense infrastructure. What might appear as innocent investments could, in reality, be a calculated move to gather intelligence, monitor troop movements, or worse. The time to question these acquisitions—and their implications for national security—is now. Foreign entities now own approximately 40 million acres of U.S. farmland—a staggering 3.1% of all privately held agricultural land. Countries like Canada (12.8 million acres), the Netherlands (4.8 million acres) , Italy (2.7 million acres), the United Kingdom (2.5 million acres), Germany (2.2 million acres), and China (owns less than 1 % of foreign held US agricultural land) are among the top foreign landholders. While some use the land for timber production or renewable energy projects, others lease it to local farmers, controlling significant aspects of our agricultural supply chain. Control over farmland is not just about owning the soil—it’s about wielding power over the food supply chain that feeds millions of Americans. From production to distribution, owning vast tracts of agricultural land gives foreign entities influence over what is grown, how it is processed, and where it ends up. This kind of control can disrupt supply chains, manipulate market prices, and create vulnerabilities in the system we rely on for sustenance. But the implications go beyond food security. Foreign land ownership could affect national security due to not only their massive acreage and location but due to their ownership such as the ownership by a Chinese billionaire linked to the Communist Party and a former Chinese military officer. And none of this foreign land is subjected to periodic unannounced inspections. Our elected officials need to act to ensure American soil stays American by claiming eminent domain.
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From the rolling plains of North Dakota near drone command centers to strategic airfields in Texas and naval hubs along the coasts, Chinese land purchases have quietly crept alarmingly close to our nation’s defense infrastructure. What might appear as innocent investments could, in reality, be a calculated move to gather intelligence, monitor troop movements, or worse. The time to question these acquisitions—and their implications for national security—is now. Foreign entities now own approximately 40 million acres of U.S. farmland—a staggering 3.1% of all privately held agricultural land. Countries like Canada (12.8 million acres), the Netherlands (4.8 million acres) , Italy (2.7 million acres), the United Kingdom (2.5 million acres), Germany (2.2 million acres), and China (owns less than 1 % of foreign held US agricultural land) are among the top foreign landholders. While some use the land for timber production or renewable energy projects, others lease it to local farmers, controlling significant aspects of our agricultural supply chain. Control over farmland is not just about owning the soil—it’s about wielding power over the food supply chain that feeds millions of Americans. From production to distribution, owning vast tracts of agricultural land gives foreign entities influence over what is grown, how it is processed, and where it ends up. This kind of control can disrupt supply chains, manipulate market prices, and create vulnerabilities in the system we rely on for sustenance. But the implications go beyond food security. Foreign land ownership could affect national security due to not only their massive acreage and location but due to their ownership such as the ownership by a Chinese billionaire linked to the Communist Party and a former Chinese military officer. And none of this foreign land is subjected to periodic unannounced inspections. Our elected officials need to act to ensure American soil stays American by claiming eminent domain.
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