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Grassley bill protects rural communities from foreign investors

A US Senator from Iowa says a new bill that increases scrutiny over foreign investments of US farmland would protect national security interests.

Republican Chuck Grassley recently introduced the Farmland Security Act with Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin. “I’ve been concerned about foreign governments and foreign individuals investing in American farmland for decades,” Grassley said.

Grassley says the legislation would give Congress the information needed to help protect domestic food production. “By ensuring that the USDA is updating its website in real time,” he said. “The bill also requires the department of agriculture to report to Congress on the impact that these investments have on family farms.”

In a recent interview with Brownfield, Senator Baldwin said the US currently doesn’t have a full understanding of how much farmland is foreign-owned, and the new legislation would assist in tracking that data.