Rep. Gallego Calls on the Department of Agriculture to Hold Accountable Foreign-Owned Farms
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) today called onU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address concerns regarding the USDA’s lack of oversight in foreign acquisition of U.S. agricultural land.
In a bipartisan letter signed by 27 other members of the U.S. House, the Representatives note that “foreign ownership of agricultural land threatens small family farm operations and the overall health of the agricultural supply chain. As the foreign acquisition of farmland increases, it is evident that more oversight is needed to protect local farmers, rural communities, and our national security.”
“Foreign governments have taken advantage of our state’s rich resources for too long, to the detriment of our farmers and rural communities. We must ensure our local farmers can compete, which requires making sure that our domestic agricultural market is powered by Arizonans on the front lines of feeding America. I’m proud to sign this letter to support our state’s family farms. It reflects my continued efforts to make sure our state’s resources are produced and provided by fellow Arizonans,” said Rep. Gallego.
The letter comes after an internal memo from USDA revealed the department failed to assess or penalize failure to report foreign acquisition of agricultural land from 2015 to 2018. That’s why Rep. Gallego requests USDA answer the following questions:
- Why did USDA fail to assess penalties as described in the memo?
- What actions has USDA taken to address these issues since the memo was produced?
- What is USDA’s course of action to address these issues in the future?
- Will USDA pursue applying retroactive AFIDA enforcement penalties for the period from 2015-2018?
Rep. Gallego’s letter to the Department of Agriculture reflects his continued effort to support Arizona’s rural communities and farmers. Last Congress, Rep. Gallego introduced the Domestic Water Protection Act, which aimed to stop the abuse of water resources by foreign governments in drought-stricken states like Arizona.