News

Stabenow says bipartisan foreign ownership bill is in progress

Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow says work continues to address foreign entities purchasing ag land along with food businesses.

“This is very much a bipartisan discussion, and Senator Boozman and I are looking at the practicalities of what the realities are now,” she says.

The Michigan Democrat tells Brownfield the U.S. Ag Secretary is currently not part of overseeing foreign purchases of business in the food sector but should be.

“We are not seeing that much yet in terms of foreign ownership of land, but more foreign ownership of food processing and other food businesses, which is the bigger concern right now for us,” she shares.

Previous legislation, the Food Security is National Security Act, co-sponsored by Stabenow and other bipartisan leaders in the Senate Ag Committee in 2017 and 2021 has attempted to add additional oversight.