WASHINGTON, DC – In a recent U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman emphasized the need for tighter restrictions on foreign ownership of American farmland. He highlighted concerns over national and food security.
During the hearing, Sen. Fetterman stated, “The Chinese government and other U.S. adversaries should not own agricultural land in our country.”
He linked this issue to national security and the wellbeing of domestic agriculture, specifically pointing out the challenges faced by Pennsylvania’s over 56,000 small farmers competing against foreign entities.
The hearing also featured Mrs. Gloria Montaño Greene, Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Harrison Pittman, Director of the National Agricultural Law Center, and Dr. David L. Ortega, Associate Professor at Michigan State University.
Sen. Fetterman has previously supported legislative measures to prevent nations like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from purchasing U.S. farmland and agricultural companies. The Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act included an amendment backed by Sen. Fetterman requiring the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to scrutinize foreign agricultural investments for potential security risks.