Foreign Investments in U.S. Agricultural Land: Enhancing Efforts to Collect, Track, and Share Key Information Could Better Identify National Security Risks
What GAO Found
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not share timely data on foreign investments in agricultural land collected under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978, as amended (AFIDA). Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) agencies, including the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of the Treasury, identify and review transactions that may pose national security risks, such as the proximity of agricultural land to a sensitive military base. USDA annually publishes selected AFIDA information online that CFIUS agencies may use when considering potential national security risks associated with agricultural land. In addition, USDA officials said they respond promptly when they receive requests for information. However, DOD officials noted they need AFIDA information that is more up-to-date and more specific, and they need to receive this information more than once a year. USDA has requested funding to develop a real-time data system that can be accessed by other U.S. government agencies and the public. Meanwhile, sharing current data could help increase visibility into potential national security risks related to foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land.
AFIDA Data Are Not Regularly Part of CFIUS Reviews
USDA implements AFIDA across field offices and headquarters, but its processes to collect, track, and report key information are flawed. USDA collects the required data on paper forms with county or federal offices and reviews them for accuracy, according to USDA officials. However, its processes to do so are unclear and challenging to implement. For example, USDA’s AFIDA handbook provides limited instructions on how to collect reliable AFIDA information. In addition, although Congress required USDA to create an online submission process and public database for AFIDA data by the end of 2025, USDA does not have plans and timelines to do so, in part because USDA has not received funding. USDA also does not sufficiently verify and conduct quality reviews to track the accuracy and completeness of its collected AFIDA data. GAO’s review of AFIDA data current through calendar year 2021 found errors, such as the largest land holding associated with the People’s Republic of China being counted twice. USDA has begun efforts to identify AFIDA non-compliance through data mining, according to officials, and has opportunities to expand this practice. But without improving its internal processes, USDA cannot report reliable information to Congress or the public about where and how much U.S. agricultural land is held by foreign persons.
Why GAO Did This Study
USDA estimated that foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land grew to approximately 40 million acres in 2021. These investments may have consequences for U.S. national security. For example, there may be foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land close to sensitive military installations.
CFIUS is an interagency committee that reviews certain foreign transactions to determine potential effects on U.S. national security. These include foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land. In addition, USDA’s AFIDA statute, enacted in 1978, requires foreign persons acquiring or transferring agricultural land to file a disclosure form with USDA.
GAO was asked to review foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land. This report examines the extent to which (1) USDA shares information related to foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land with CFIUS for its national security reviews, and (2) USDA’s processes enable it to collect, track, and report reliable data on foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land. GAO reviewed laws, regulations, and agency guidance; analyzed USDA data; and interviewed agency officials.
