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USDA Unveils National Farm Security Action Plan to Counter Foreign Influence

It imposes foreign ownership reporting requirements; bans adversary farmland acquisitions; escalates penalties to protect the food supply and research innovations.

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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.