Ricketts and Fetterman Fight China's Quiet Takeover of US Farmland

In a rare display of bipartisan unity, Senators Pete Ricketts (R) and John Fetterman (D) have joined forces to tackle a growing concern: China's increasing ownership of American farmland. Their proposed Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act aims to strengthen oversight and transparency, addressing critical gaps identified by the Government Accountability Office in a January 2024 report. This isn’t just about land—it’s about national security.

Senator Ricketts didn’t mince words, calling Communist China 'our greatest geopolitical threat.' He highlighted the alarming trend of foreign investors, particularly from China, acquiring over 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. Chinese ownership alone skyrocketed from 13,720 acres in 2010 to nearly 384,000 acres by 2021. Even more concerning is the strategic placement of these purchases near sensitive military installations like Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. As Ricketts put it, this isn’t just farming—it’s a potential foothold for espionage or worse.

The urgency of this issue is underscored by recent events. Two Chinese nationals were detained for allegedly smuggling a dangerous fungus, Fusarium graminearum, into the U.S. Described as a potential 'agroterrorism weapon,' this crop-destroying blight could wreak havoc on wheat, maize, and barley, costing billions in losses and posing health risks to humans and livestock. The incident raises red flags about China’s intentions, with Ricketts pointing to other suspicious activities, from biotech theft to drone surveillance near U.S. bases.

The AFIDA Improvements Act, backed by a coalition of senators and representatives, seeks to enforce stricter reporting for foreign entities holding significant interests in American farmland. It also aims to enhance coordination between federal agencies and modernize outdated systems to better track these transactions. At its core, this legislation is about protecting America’s food supply and ensuring that adversaries can’t exploit our own soil against us.

With global tensions simmering—whether it’s conflict in the Middle East or Ukraine’s bold strikes on Russian targets—Ricketts warns that the U.S. must remain vigilant. 'We’re at the most dangerous point since World War II,' he stated, emphasizing the need to safeguard not just our land, but our very way of life. While the bill faces delays amid other legislative priorities, the stakes couldn’t be higher. America’s heartland shouldn’t become a battleground.