ALBANY – New York could develop into the newest state to ban farmland purchases by corporations affiliated with hostile governments under a recent law unveiled within the legislature.
“Faced with national security concerns about espionage, it is necessary that the USA doesn’t allow foreign adversaries, such as the Chinese government, to proceed buying large amounts of agricultural land.”
The proposal “would ban entities owned by foreign adversaries” – including China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela.
As of February, 14 states have now introduced similar restrictions agrees by FiveThirtyEight while a dozen other states are considering introducing their very own bans.
The bans were enacted amid growing concerns about U.S. vulnerability to Chinese intelligence operations and rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Other countries could possibly be added to the ban list if the Commerce Department finds a rival government is using U.S. farmland purchases to threaten national security, in response to Santabarbara.
Chinese investors own about 1% of all U.S. agricultural land controlled by foreigners as of 2021. Congressional Research Servicewhich informs federal legislators.
![Reeves Farm in Baldwinsville, New York.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/110322ReevesFarm41.jpg?w=1024)
A complete of 62% of all farmland owned by non-Americans is controlled by people and firms affiliated with considered one of five countries: Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Britain and Germany – all solid US allies.
Nonetheless, recent international events have drawn the eye of legislators to the potential dangers of rival nations having access to fertile American soil.
![Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Budget-Watch.jpg?w=1024)
“Food security is national security and I feel we’ve got seen how Russia has been capable of exert undue influence over Europe since it has provided them with [with] a lot natural gas” Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) told National Public Radio on March 1. “And similarly, if China controls the food supply in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and even North America, it could give them more power, more coercive power all over the world.”
Foreign entities currently own roughly 756,000 acres of farmland within the Empire State and a complete of 40,031,308 acres nationwide, in response to 2021 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
New York has only a fraction of farmland purchased by corporations affiliated with such countries, but the brand new law would shed recent light on exactly how much by requiring more reporting on sales to foreign entities.
“Now greater than ever, we must do every little thing we will to guard our food supply chains here in the USA. This bill would make sure that in the long run, no agricultural land in New York State could possibly be purchased by foreign advisers who pose a threat to national security,” said Santabarbara, who couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.