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Foreign interests held 46.3 million acres of U.S. agricultural land at the end of 2024, representing about 3.6% of privately held agricultural land nationwide, according to USDA data analyzed by University of Illinois researchers.
Farmdoc Daily reports the total includes more than traditional farmland ownership. Federal reporting requirements also cover certain long-term leases, including arrangements commonly used for wind and solar energy projects.
Nearly half of reported foreign-held acreage is forestland, while cropland accounts for 29% and pasture and other agricultural land represent about 22%, USDA reported. Canadian interests account for the largest share of foreign-held agricultural acreage, driven largely by forestland holdings.
Farmdoc researchers noted that foreign holdings have increased in recent years but remain a relatively small portion of privately owned U.S. agricultural land. The University of Illinois’ TIAA Center for Farmland Research has developed an interactive county-level map allowing users to examine foreign holdings by country, location and land use.
NAFB news service
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