Foreign entities hold 47 million acres of U.S. farmland, USDA data shows

Foreign entities hold interests in approximately 47 million acres of private agricultural land in the United States, according to the USDA's 2024 report.

That total represents about 3.6 percent of all privately held agricultural land in the country. Dr. Faith Parum, deputy chief economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, discussed the data on RFD-TV's Market Day Report. She noted that these figures include more than just outright ownership. The data captures leases and other interests where American farmers still own the property.

The USDA tracks these holdings under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978. This law requires foreign investors to report their interests in U.S. agricultural land. Parum said this reporting system allows the government to monitor where investments are located and how the land is used.

Canada holds the largest share of foreign-held U.S. agricultural land, followed by European countries as a group. Parum explained that many of these holdings involve forestland and renewable energy projects. In some cases, an American landowner leases acreage to a foreign investor for renewable energy development. China holds a comparatively small share of the reported acreage, despite frequent attention in national security discussions.

Texas contains the most foreign-held agricultural land, a fact Parum attributed to the state's large size. Maine ranks second, largely due to its extensive forestland and foreign investment in timber holdings. These regional differences show why the type of land and its specific use matter when analyzing the national numbers.

Parum cautioned that the reported acreage should not be interpreted as foreign-owned farmland used for agricultural production. A substantial portion of the reported land involves forestry or renewable energy development. The data helps policymakers and the agricultural industry understand where foreign interests exist and how those investments affect land use.

The American Farm Bureau Federation provides more information on the findings at www.fb.org/intel.