USDA Launches New Online Portal to Report Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new online reporting portal designed to improve transparency and oversight of transactions involving U.S. agricultural land owned by foreign persons. The portal supports reporting requirements under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) and applies to transactions conducted by individuals, businesses, and foreign governments.
USDA says the new platform is part of a larger initiative focused on protecting American farmland and strengthening enforcement efforts. According to the department, “The new online portal is part of a broader effort to strengthen enforcement and protect American farmland as USDA continues its implementation of the National Farm Security Action Plan.”
The portal allows users to more efficiently report foreign investments and ownership interests in U.S. agricultural land, helping USDA gather accurate and verifiable data. Officials say the move will enhance compliance and ensure the federal government has better visibility into who owns and controls farmland across the country.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins emphasized the national security implications of farmland ownership. She said, “President Trump is putting America First, and this includes increasing transparency and scrutiny of one of our most valuable national assets, American farmland. We are working to improve reporting of foreign owned land in the United States.”
Rollins added that the streamlined system will strengthen enforcement and oversight, noting, “This move to streamline the reporting portal will increase compliance and assist our efforts to effectively enforce accurate reporting of interests held by foreign adversaries in U.S. farmland. The online portal will allow us to obtain verifiable information about foreign interests in American agricultural land and protect the security of our farmers.”
State agriculture leaders are also welcoming the new tool. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper praised the effort, stating, “When it comes to foreign ownership of American farmland, we should not accept anything less than 100% transparency. Grateful to Secretary Rollins for understanding that farm security is national security and making disclosure of foreign ownership a priority!”
USDA says the portal is now live and accessible at afida.landmark.usda.gov, where required parties can submit disclosures electronically. The department encourages all entities subject to AFIDA reporting requirements to use the new system to ensure timely and accurate compliance.
Officials stress that improving transparency around foreign ownership of farmland is a critical step toward safeguarding rural communities, agricultural producers, and the long-term security of the U.S. food system.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.