Interim legislative study seeks to determine how much Nebraska land is foreign-owned | Nebraska Examiner
Interim legislative study seeks to determine how much Nebraska land is foreign-owned Nebraska Examiner
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If you look at an annual federal report on “foreign holdings” of farmland in Nebraska, your heart might skip a beat — it says that more than 791,000 acres was foreign owned by 2022.
That’s more than twice the land contained in Douglas County (home to Omaha) and about 1.7% of the total farm and ranch property in the state.
But an interim study being launched by the Nebraska Legislature is planning to drill down into those federal numbers, which officials and recent data indicate mostly reflects an increase in acreage leased for wind farms by companies with some foreign ownership.
State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, who asked for the interim study, said the overall issue touches on food security, U.S. sovereignty and growing anxiety about China.
He said he’s hoping an interim study will help discover whether Nebraska needs legislation restricting foreign holdings of Nebraska farm and ranch land, and whether foreign ownership is impacting the price of farmland.
“We’re just going to try to get a little more clarity on the issue, to see how much foreign ownership there really is,” Halloran said. “The more clarity, the better.”
The Legislature’s Agriculture Committee, which Halloran heads, has scheduled an interim public hearing Sept. 15.
It appears to be a hot-button issue for policymakers, both locally and nationally. Twenty-eight of the Unicameral Legislature’s 49 senators signed onto the interim study resolution. And the U.S. Senate earlier this week voted to curb purchases of farmland by four countries — China, Iran, Russia and North Korea.
Foreign holdings increased 20-fold
- The Nebraska interim study resolution cites federal figures indicating that foreign holdings of Nebraska ag land increased 20-fold from 2010 to 2020, from about 34,000 acres to 690,000 acres.
The senator said the hearing was inspired, in part, by concern over the purchase of 300 acres by a Chinese-owned corn processing company near an Air Force base in North Dakota in 2022. There were fears that the Chinese would use the location to spy on the base.
North Dakota responded by passing a law prohibiting “foreign adversaries” from developing and owning real property in the state, effective Aug. 1.
Halloran said he’s fielded concerns from some Nebraskans about the extent of foreign ownership of land in the state and whether local farmers and ranchers are being displaced.
‘Rumor mill speculation’
- John Hansen, of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said farmers don’t like “big anything” coming and out-competing with locals for farmland.
“There’s been a lot of rumor mill speculation about who’s buying all of this land. Is it the Russians, is it the Chinese?” Hansen said, adding that it’s a good idea to “get to the bottom of it.”
He said a bigger concern for farmers might be the extent of foreign ownership in fertilizer production and processing of livestock.
The federal government, since 1978, has required foreign investors “who acquire, transfer, or hold an interest in” agriculture land in the U.S. to file a report under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA).
That’s the report that showed the dramatic increase in foreign holdings of ag
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 15: Life on Land
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 2 as they relate to food security and potential impacts on local farmers and ranchers. The article also mentions concerns about U.S. sovereignty and growing anxiety about China, which are connected to SDG 16. Additionally, the article discusses foreign holdings of farmland, which falls under SDG 15 as it pertains to sustainable land use and conservation.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers.
- Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
- Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.
Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are related to increasing agricultural productivity and incomes for small-scale food producers (Target 2.3), ensuring sustainable land use and conservation (Target 15.1), and promoting effective and transparent institutions (Target 16.6).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator 2.3.1: Volume of production per labor unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size.
- Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area.
- Indicator 16.6.1: Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget, by sector (or by budget codes or similar).
The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but based on the identified targets, the following indicators can be used to measure progress: volume of production per labor unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size (Indicator 2.3.1), forest area as a proportion of total land area (Indicator 15.1.1), and primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget, by sector (Indicator 16.6.1).
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers. | Indicator 2.3.1: Volume of production per labor unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size. |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements. | Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area. |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels. | Indicator 16.6.1: Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget, by sector (or by budget codes or similar). |
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Source: nebraskaexaminer.com
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