U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) recently addressed her concerns regarding foreign countries, such as China, purchasing farmland near U.S. military bases in a video posted on social media. As a Democrat from Michigan's 7th Congressional District, Slotkin has been actively questioning the foreign ownership of American farmland.
"Food security is national security, so it's important that we ensure adversaries like China can't gain control over the land that feeds us," said Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Democrat US Rep from Michigan (07), according to X. "Today at @HouseAgDems, I asked @SecVilsack about how we can protect our farmland."
Slotkin raised her concerns with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, noting that while the majority of foreign-owned farmland is owned by Canada or the Netherlands as per Vilsack's previous observations, there is a "bipartisan concern about adversarial states" buying farmland. She suggested the possibility of implementing a national security review process for purchases made by foreign entities from "adversarial states."
Rep. Slotkin calls for prevention of China buying US farmland.
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According to National Public Radio (NPR), Chinese companies own approximately 380,000 acres of land in the United States. In 2021, one such company purchased a substantial piece of farmland near a North Dakota Air Force base, which sparked concern among lawmakers. The fear is that Chinese ownership could provide the Chinese government with significant control over crucial sectors like food and energy and potentially access to sensitive information.
As reported by Federal Newswire, U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced legislation in May 2023 aimed at preventing further land purchases by Chinese entities. Lankford stated: "Our loose oversight has allowed transnational criminal organizations to partner with Chinese nationals to buy land and businesses throughout Oklahoma. This is a national security issue and a human rights issue. We need to know who is buying our land, how they are using it and if any criminal activity is occurring."
In response to similar concerns, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill in 2023 compelling Chinese owners of American land to relinquish their holdings. The legislation targeted China National Chemical Company, which through its subsidiary Northrop King Seed Company owns land valued at $1.12 million in Craighead County. Despite Syngenta's claim of independence from Chinese influence, its acquisition by ChemChina in 2016 and subsequent listing as a Chinese military company by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022, has raised eyebrows. This move is indicative of wider concerns about the increasing ownership of U.S. farmland by Chinese entities, driven by the Chinese Communist Party's ambition to dominate global food supply chains and surpass the U.S. as a global leader.
Slotkin, a former national security official now serving as a representative for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, continues to focus on key issues such as bringing manufacturing jobs to mid-Michigan, reducing healthcare costs, protecting Michigan's environment, and competing with China.
