Overview

• On July 8, 2025, the USDA joined the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security to release the National Farm Security Action Plan in Washington, D.C.
• The initiative follows June charges against foreign nationals accused of smuggling a fungal pathogen into a university lab, underscoring biosecurity vulnerabilities.
• The plan mandates reporting for all foreign-owned farmland and seeks to block further purchases by nations deemed adversaries.
• It escalates penalties to the maximum allowed under existing law for violations tied to foreign land holdings and agroterrorism threats.
• The framework bars USDA from entering agreements with designated foreign adversaries and calls for coordination with state governments, Congress and the National Security Council to embed agriculture in national-security planning.