Madison, WI…Senator Rob Stafsholt (R – New Richmond) and Representative Clint Moses (R – Menomonie) introduced legislation to protect Wisconsin’s farmlands from being owned by foreign investors. The bill, Wisconsin Farmland Protection Act, will restrict foreign ownership of agricultural land to ensure that Wisconsin continues to be a leader in feeding our nation and the world.
“This bill primarily focuses on land that is currently zoned as agricultural land. There is no reason we should allow foreign governments or entities to own our Wisconsin farmland,” said Senator Stafsholt. “And on a bigger scale, it is likely a matter of national security to not allow other countries to own our food-producing acres.”
According to the US Department of Agriculture in 2020, 37.6 million acres of agricultural land was foreign-owned in the United States. They also pointed out that foreign investment in United States farmland is on the rise. Protecting this farmland is important since the Wisconsin agriculture industry contributes $116.3 billion annually to our state’s economy.
“Our farmland should be owned by Wisconsin farmers,” said Representative Moses. “It’s a major concern for our farmers looking to expand or people getting into farming to purchase land when a foreign country will pay more for land and push out our local producers. Our farmers should own the land as they are the ones we trust to produce our food and contribute to our local economies.”
The bill would limit foreign entities from owning more than 50 acres of farmland. This bill would also prohibit foreign countries of national security concern from owning any land in Wisconsin and owning real property within 10 miles of military instillations.
Senator Stafsholt and Representative Moses look forward to seeing the bill pass through the legislature and placed onto the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
