Foreign-held Agricultural Land in U.S. Continues to Increase - Texas Farm Bureau
By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist
Foreign interests in U.S. agricultural land continue to grow, with Texas leading the way as the state with the most foreign-held acreage.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), foreign entities owned or held interests in 47.24 million acres of U.S. agricultural land in 2024, marking a rise of approximately 2.34 million acres from the previous year. This represents a 3.6% share of privately held agricultural land in the U.S., as noted by Faith Parum, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
The increase is substantial, with foreign-held agricultural land rising by about 91% since 2010, when foreign investors held around 24.8 million acres. Texas topped the list with approximately 5.9 million acres in 2024, an increase of 231,000 acres from the previous year.
However, it's important to distinguish between foreign-held and foreign-owned land. The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 requires foreign entities to disclose their agricultural land holdings, including long-term leases. Many energy companies lease land from U.S. landowners, so foreign-held land doesn't always mean foreign-owned.
Parum explains, "Most foreign-held agricultural land is forestland or tied to renewable energy projects. In 2024, approximately 22.2 million acres were forestland, while 13.7 million acres were cropland." Renewable energy development has been a significant driver of this trend, with land associated with foreign-held companies in wind, solar, and other energy projects rising from 2.9 million acres in 2010 to 14.2 million acres in 2024.
"One of the key concerns for farmers and ranchers is how these long-term energy leases might impact land use and competition for land in their communities," Parum adds.
Canadian investors hold the largest stake in foreign-held agricultural land, with approximately 16.1 million acres.