Fact Check: Too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries.

Fact Check: "Too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries."

What We Know

The claim that "too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries" refers to the growing trend of foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land, particularly by investors from countries considered adversarial, such as China and Russia. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as of 2023, foreign investors owned approximately 45.85 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, which constitutes about 3.61% of all privately held agricultural land in the country (source-1). This marks a significant increase of 1.58 million acres from 2022, with Canadian investors holding the largest share at 33.5% of foreign-held land (source-2).

While the total acreage owned by foreign entities has been rising, the share owned by nationals from adversarial countries is notably small. For instance, land owned by Chinese and Russian investors combined accounts for only about 0.03% of American farmland (source-4). Moreover, there has been a decline in land ownership by these nations from 2022 to 2023 (source-2).

Analysis

The assertion that "too much" land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries is subjective and requires careful evaluation of the data. The statistics indicate that while foreign ownership is increasing, it remains relatively low in the context of total U.S. agricultural land. The USDA's data shows that foreign ownership has grown from 2% in 2010 to 3.61% in 2023, which is an increase but still a minor fraction of the overall land (source-1).

Critics of foreign ownership often express concerns about national security and the potential for foreign entities to control critical resources. However, experts like Bruce Sherrick, an agricultural land economist, argue that the actual impact of foreign ownership on food supply and national security is minimal given the small percentage of land involved (source-4). Furthermore, the majority of foreign-held land is linked to renewable energy projects, which may not pose the same risks as traditional agricultural land use (source-3).

The reliability of the sources is generally high, as they include analyses from reputable organizations such as the USDA and the American Farm Bureau Federation. However, it is important to note that some sources may have a vested interest in the agricultural sector, which could introduce bias into their interpretations of foreign ownership trends.

Conclusion

The claim that "too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries" is Partially True. While there is a notable increase in foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land, the actual percentage owned by nationals from adversarial countries is minimal. The concerns surrounding foreign ownership are valid but may be overstated given the current data. The majority of foreign investments are driven by renewable energy interests rather than traditional agricultural use, which complicates the narrative around national security and resource control.

Fact Check: Too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries.