Selected Recent Actions Involving Foreign Ownership and Investment in U.S. Food and Agriculture: In Brief

The 118th Congress has continued to debate the appropriate role of foreign ownership and investment in the U.S. food and agriculture sector. Some in Congress view foreign ownership and investment in the U.S. food and agriculture sector as a potential national security threat and maintain that additional restrictions and monitoring may be needed to prevent certain foreign adversaries from gaining an advantage over U.S. capabilities and resources. Some Members of Congress have introduced legislative proposals to restrict foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land and to require additional U.S. government scrutiny and oversight of foreign investment and ownership in the U.S. food and agriculture sector. Congress has continued to debate a range of policy options and has enacted additional reporting requirements for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) related to foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land, as reflected in annual appropriations directives and other congressional actions. Other proposed legislative changes would enhance U.S. government oversight and expand the current membership of the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to include USDA and other agencies. Table of Contents: Selected Legislative Efforts to Amend Existing Authorities; Selected Directives in Agriculture Appropriation Acts; Proposed Changes in FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act; House Select Committee Recommendations Involving Agriculture; Forthcoming GAO Report on AFIDA; USDA Request for Information on AFIDA Form Revisions; and Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Reporting Requirements.