Buying US farmland not part of China agriculture plan, panel told
Buying US farmland not part of China agriculture plan, panel told South China Morning Post
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Buying American Farmland Not Part of China’s Agricultural Investment Strategy
US lawmakers heard at a hearing by the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday that buying American farmland is not part of China’s current agricultural investment strategy.
David Ortega, a professor and economist at Michigan State University, stated that China’s foreign investments in farmland have focused on regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia. However, North America has been largely bypassed.
Ortega also emphasized that there is no clear evidence that foreign land ownership is causing American farmland prices to rise or threatening the country’s ability to produce food. Foreign ownership accounts for about 3% of privately held agricultural land in the US, with Chinese entities owning less than 1% of that amount.
Despite this, American lawmakers have increased their focus on the national security implications of foreign land ownership, particularly investments from China.
China’s Strategy for Food Security and Foreign Agricultural Investment
The US is self-sufficient in basic food production and is a major agricultural exporter globally. On the other hand, countries like China are facing challenges due to a lack of arable land to feed their population.
China has long aimed to become self-sufficient in food production, which largely drives its foreign agricultural investment strategy. However, concerns about potential threats to American food security arose in 2013 when China’s largest meat processor, Shuanghui International, acquired Smithfield Foods, an American company.
Legislative Focus on Foreign Agricultural Investment
US congressional attention on foreign agricultural investment started to increase in 2013. More recently, legislative focus on the issue has been driven by espionage concerns and a lack of data to assess reported increases in overall foreign agricultural land ownership since 2010.
Lawmakers have introduced various bills to address these concerns, including modernizing reporting processes and limiting foreign land purchases. One proposed legislation would give the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) the authority to ban agricultural land acquisitions from “adversaries” like China.
Role of the US Department of Agriculture and Funding for Agricultural Research
The legislation would also add the secretary of agriculture as a member of the inter-agency committee that screens all inbound foreign investment. The US Department of Agriculture supports a more robust role in CFIUS.
David Ortega testified that China is outpacing the US and the European Union in funding agricultural research and development, which he considers one of the biggest threats to food security. However, he cautioned that efforts to tackle foreign agricultural investment should consider potential retaliation from other countries, as the US is also one of the top investors in foreign agricultural land worldwide.
Conclusion
While concerns about foreign land ownership and its impact on American food security persist, it is important to consider the potential consequences and retaliatory actions. The US is a significant exporter of agricultural products to China, and finding new export markets may be challenging for American farmers.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 15: Life on Land
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
- SDG 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.
- SDG 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, particularly at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 2.4: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.
- Indicator for SDG 15.3: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area.
- Indicator for SDG 17.6: Amount of funding for agricultural research and development.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality. | Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture. |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. | Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area. |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, particularly at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism. | Amount of funding for agricultural research and development. |
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Source: scmp.com
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