Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin representative and chairman of the Select Party on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently convened with fellow legislators in Iowa to tackle the matter of CCP's agricultural theft. The lawmakers gathered for a roundtable discussion in Dysart, focusing on the significant impact of the theft on American agriculture.

"The @FBI estimated that China steals between $225 to $600 billion worth of American intellectual property every single year. That’s around $4,000 stolen per an American family of four every single year," Gallagher said. "The greatest transfer of wealth in human history."

Gallagher was joined by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois and Rep. Ashley Hinson from Iowa, both of whom are also members of the Select Committee on the CCP. The primary focus of the roundtable discussion was to address the concerning claims of the CCP's theft of American agriculture technology, specifically involving genetically modified seeds. Local farmers and seed dealers were involved in the roundtable as well, sharing their experiences and insights on the impact of this situation on the industry, according to a press release.

Back in 2012, a Dysart farmer caught an individual in the act of digging up "hybrid seeds" on their property, subsequently stealing them and sending them to China. The range of economic impact caused by such theft on the U.S. economy is estimated to be between $225 billion to $600 billion per year, according to the FBI, Newsweek reported.

“Today’s conversation has shown the impact that the CCP’s IP theft and economic espionage has on everyday Americans, like those whom we heard from today," Krishnamoorthi said, according to a press release. "I look forward to using the insights gained today to work with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to further protect American technology and ensure that foreign adversaries like the CCP do not benefit from American technology any longer."

“The CCP has long worked to undermine American agriculture and dominate the global food supply – whether it's stealing valuable seeds directly from the ground, quietly buying up our farm land or through their deceptive trade practices," Hinson said, according to a press release. "Today, Iowa farmers and ag stakeholders provided their firsthand insight into the threat the CCP poses to our food security and ag innovation, as well as vulnerabilities in the agriculture supply chain that directly impact our national security. Having the chairman and ranking member in Tama County – the site of China’s most brazen ag IP theft – for this roundtable shows the Select Committee’s commitment to hearing directly from the source as we develop the right policy solutions to protect American agriculture."

According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, the Chinese government, Chinese individuals and Chinese entities own 384,000 acres of land in the United States, valued at nearly $2 billion. The report, "Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land Through Dec. 31, 2021," places China 18th among foreign owners of U.S. land, with about 1% of all foreign-owned land, Forbes reported.