Agriculture has been an essential part of the United States since its foundation. In the 19th century, settlers moved westward across America. Today, according to the USDA, we have 900 million acres of agricultural land, accounting for 40% of our land, and our farms provide food worldwide. In 2021, the government reported that US farmers exported $177 billion in soybeans, corn, beef, and pork products. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that citizens own 97% of the US’s private agricultural and forest lands. Over recent decades, Chinese ownership of American farmland has increased. Lawmakers argue that Chinese ownership of US lands risks national security. Some say American farms are global assets that should be shared. Others argue that US farms are not global assets and should not be shared because they ensure our food security and national security. I agree with the latter. American farms are not global assets that should be shared because they are crucial for our food and national security.
One reason I agree that American farms are not global assets to be shared is because they are the nation’s food suppliers. Farmers, ranchers, and foresters are the backbone of the United States. Production agriculture and those who work in it keep food on our shelves and are vital for food security and, therefore, national security. They bear the immense responsibility of feeding a rapidly growing country and providing economic stability across rural America. Rural US communities rely on productive working lands to support local labor. These local jobs include agronomists, foresters, land improvement contractors, seed specialists, and irrigation experts. Thoughtful management of these vital landscapes builds resilient economies with farms, ranches, clean air, water, healthy food, and abundant wildlife (Diamond and Barham). Furthermore, American farms supply the food supply chain nationwide, generating millions of jobs for Americans, making it one of the most critical economic sectors. According to the USDA, agriculture, food, and related industries contributed 5.6% to the US gross domestic product and provided 10.4% of employment in the country. In 2022, 22.1 million full-time and part-time jobs were related to the agricultural and food sectors, accounting for 10.4% of total employment in the United States. Major commodity crops (wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, rice, dairy, and sugar) are produced nationwide with extensive distribution and international trade networks. Therefore, I disagree that American farms should be global assets to be shared because they are the primary food suppliers for the country, a crucial sector of the economy generating millions of jobs through the food supply chain, vital for national food security.
Another reason I disagree that American farms should be global assets to be shared is because they are part of national security. A USDA 2021 report states that China owns 383,935 acres of American agricultural land. According to South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem, the Communist Party of China’s purchase of American agricultural land poses a threat to our food security. Noem states that China has slowly been buying American fertilizer companies, chemical companies, and food supply chains. They are now dramatically increasing the amount of agricultural land they are buying in the United States. This is very concerning because it represents a threat to our national security. These purchases complete their control over our food supply chains. This means that if China feeds us, they will control us as a country in the future, which is a national security issue (Fox Business). According to Pennsylvania Republican Glenn Thompson, China has stolen US intellectual property in recent years, compromised cybersecurity and related infrastructure, turned agricultural trade into a weapon, and acquired American agricultural lands at an alarming rate. He stated that both incidents disrupt national security, rural communities, and resilience (Figueroa). Furthermore, Kristi Noem points out that they are buying lands near our strategic air bases, our national defense resource (Fox News). Such is the case with the purchase of 914 acres of agricultural land by the Chinese conglomerate Fufeng Group for corn milling, less than 20 kilometers from the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. Grand Forks Air Force Base is home to some of the country’s most sensitive military drones. According to a North Dakota senator, it is also the site of a new space network center, which manages “the backbone of all US military communications worldwide” (Fiallo). Another example is that of magnate and former Chinese military Sun Guangxin, who bought 140,000 acres in Val Verde County, Texas, for the construction of a wind farm that could supply Texas’ electrical grid near Laughlin Air Force Base, a training ground for military pilots (Hyatt). For this reason, I disagree that American agricultural lands should be global assets to be shared because they represent part of national security. China has been buying these lands under the pretext of food production and renewable energy generation (wind) when, in fact, the goal is to steal intellectual property and spy on our national security system.
American farms provide food for the world. American farmers are selling more high-quality products to the rest of the world than ever before in US agricultural history. Former Secretary of State during the Trump Administration, Mike Pompeo, stated that American farmers produced corn at levels that would have surprised the world just a few years ago. In 2018, the United States exported over $139.5 billion in agricultural products to foreign markets, an increase of $1.5 billion from 2017. This was good news for American farmers and the countries importing safe, reliable, high-quality US agricultural products to supply their populations. The Midwest of the United States, including Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and other places, is predominantly a corn producer, with corn and soybeans being the most common crops. High agricultural exports generate significant sales. Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, and Washington dominate corn fields, with large herds of cattle visible in Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas. The agricultural sector in the United States is diverse, with a wide range of food products reflecting the productivity and diversity of the entire agricultural industry. Exports support over a million jobs in agriculture and livestock and employment in corn processing, packaging, and transportation (Share America). It is estimated that by 2050, global food demand will increase by 60%. To meet this challenge, the United States must implement new agricultural practices, establish new markets, and eliminate unfair tariff barriers and trade practices, such as those imposed by the WTO, which allowed some countries, like China, to maintain trade barriers and protectionism. In contrast, others, like the United States, defended their interests. The WTO demanded that American workers compete with China’s forced labor but did not effectively prevent China from stealing US intellectual property and products.
Some argue that American farmlands are global assets that should be shared. David Ortega, professor of Agriculture at Michigan State University, says, “The sale of American agricultural lands is a great investment. Chinese companies have bought these lands for food production and energy projects like wind farms, or as an investment due to their stable performance and growth” (O’Dell and Caughey). Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adam Minter says, “national food security is enhanced by the presence of foreigners seeking economic opportunities in rural areas. He goes so far as to say that Chinese investment in American agricultural lands should not be prohibited” (Minter). This may be true if only seen as an investment and economic opportunity that strengthens our national food security. However, at this point, the issue is more than an investment and economic opportunity that enhances our national food security. The key consideration is that not sharing American agricultural lands as global assets aims not to prevent investment in land purchases by China to strengthen our food security. Its purpose is to prevent China from taking over our entire food supply chain and, at the same time, stealing intellectual property and spying on our National Security System.
It is not a good idea for American agricultural lands to be global assets shared with China, as they represent our food security and national security. Especially in recent decades, when the Asian giant has slowly been buying various companies that supply our food supply chain nationwide. Even more so when these companies and agricultural lands are near military bases and space networks that control American communications worldwide, posing a direct threat to our national security. I believe that if the United States wants to remain the world’s leading food provider, it must protect its agricultural patents and intellectual property, its innovation and creativity, and hardworking Americans.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Luis Henry Contreras Del Aguila
Food Industries Engineer Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva- Tingo Maria- Peru
Master in Agribusiness Administration ESAN University – Lima-Peru
CEO, Country Agribusiness
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