Josh Riley Signs on to Bipartisan Bill to Protect Upstate Farmland from Purchase By Foreign Adversaries

This week, Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) signed on to The Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act, a bipartisan bill that would protect Upstate New York farmland from foreign land grabs by US adversaries like the Communist Chinese Party (CCP). 

“I’m sponsoring this bipartisan legislation because we need to stop the CCP from buying American farmland and preying on Upstate New York's family farms," said Riley. "Our bill will strengthen national security and preserve Upstate’s critical role in feeding America.”

USDA data shows that foreign investors have come to hold interests in more than 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land—a level of ownership that has raised concerns about potential national security vulnerabilities, especially when these holdings are located near sensitive military installations.

The Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act would help to address security concerns by adding the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) – a move that could prevent bad actors like ChemChina-owned subsidiary Syngenta from purchasing thousands of acres of American farmland. The bill will empower the United States Department of Agriculture with the authority to review land purchases by foreign entities and ensure that these transactions put US national security and food security front and center. 

Full text of the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act can be found HERE.