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Experts Warn USDA May Lack Staff to Enforce Farmland Security Measures

USDA’s new AFIDA portal and proposed reporting changes may improve visibility into foreign interests in U.S. farmland, but historical staffing concerns and GAO-documented process weaknesses leave current enforcement capacity unclear.
From TheFinanceBase Team4 min to read

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Experts warn that USDA may not have enough staff to enforce new farmland-security measures, but the evidence cited for that concern is historical: 2023 talking points described limited staffing in 2015–2018 and recordkeeping problems that hindered penalty assessments in 2016–2020. Those findings do not establish how many people work on enforcement now. USDA has launched an online filing portal, while other changes remain planned or proposed; neither step by itself shows that the agency can verify reports, assess penalties or share information promptly.

What the staffing warning is based on

The warning draws on 2023 talking points prepared for former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Agri-Pulse reported that it obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request. The talking points said “very limited staffing” was a challenge from 2015 to 2018. They also described “poor record keeping” that “resulted in inconsistent reports that could not be used as the basis to assess penalties” between 2016 and 2020.

These are descriptions of past constraints, not a current staffing count or a finding that today’s workforce is inadequate. The cited material does not establish how many employees are assigned to AFIDA enforcement, how much investigative or penalty-assessment work they handle, or whether staffing has since changed.

What AFIDA requires—and what it does not

The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA), enacted in 1978, requires covered foreign persons to report interests and transactions involving U.S. agricultural land to USDA. It is a disclosure system: AFIDA collects information about foreign interests; it is not a general federal ban on foreign ownership.

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USDA’s January 2026 release said its 2024 annual AFIDA report listed foreign holdings of U.S. agricultural land at 46 million acres as of December 31, 2024. That is a USDA-reported total for foreign holdings generally—not an estimate of land held by foreign adversaries, and not an independently verified acreage figure.

Which measures are in place, planned or still proposed?

Measure Status What it means
Online AFIDA filing portal USDA announced its launch on January 22, 2026. It collects the same information as the FSA-153 paper form. Filers may still use paper and should not submit through both methods.
National Farm Security Action Plan Announced in July 2025; its listed reforms are plan commitments, not proof that each has been implemented. USDA called for AFIDA process reforms, enhanced reporting, geospatial information and purchase purpose, stronger civil penalties for late and knowingly false filings, coordination with Treasury as CFIUS chair, and a public channel for reporting suspected failed or false disclosures.
Expanded reporting rule Proposed by USDA on June 25, 2026; do not treat the proposal as a final rule. Proposals include broader reporting around indirect control and beneficial ownership, definitions for beneficial owners and shell corporations, and reporting of any interest held by a foreign adversary or an entity controlled by one.

USDA’s AFIDA information page says members of the public may report alleged failures or false disclosures, including anonymously. A reporting channel can surface concerns, but it does not itself establish that a report is accurate or that USDA has completed an investigation.

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What GAO found about USDA’s handling of AFIDA information

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found weaknesses in USDA’s processes for collecting, tracking and reporting AFIDA information. It reported unclear collection procedures and limited guidance, insufficient verification and quality review, and errors in data current through calendar year 2021. GAO made six recommendations, including improving data reliability, sharing detailed information with relevant CFIUS agencies in a timely way, and assessing an online submission system and public database.

GAO’s later implementation updates put the remaining coordination concerns in context: as of July 2026, USDA had not signed an agreement with the Department of Defense or provided evidence that AFIDA information had been shared with DOD. As of August 2026, GAO said regulations remained pending. These are time-specific implementation findings, not a claim that no information sharing or regulatory work has occurred since those dates.

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Why more reporting can also mean more enforcement work

Broader reporting could give USDA a clearer view of who ultimately owns or controls agricultural land through intermediaries. But more complete filings are only one part of enforcement. The agency also needs reliable records, a way to check submitted information, staff and processes to investigate discrepancies, the capacity to assess penalties when warranted, and timely coordination with other agencies. GAO’s findings show why collecting additional information does not automatically resolve those operational steps.

The proposed rule itself recognizes that its requirements would likely increase reporting burdens for some filers. That raises a practical capacity question: expanded coverage can improve visibility, but it can also increase the volume and complexity of filings that must be reviewed. The available figures do not show whether USDA has added enough personnel or other resources to manage that work.

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Disclosure rules are different from ownership restrictions

USDA’s security plan also describes work with state and congressional partners on possible action addressing direct or indirect purchases or control by nationals of countries of concern or other foreign adversaries. Such restrictions or divestment actions are distinct from AFIDA disclosure requirements and depend on separate legal authority. State restrictions have drawn legal and policy disagreement, including concerns about unintended effects on investment and possible retaliation.

At the plan announcement, Secretary Brooke Rollins said the federal government was looking at ways to “claw back” land held by Chinese-connected entities, but the Agri-Pulse report said she provided no details about how that might be done. That statement should not be read as evidence that a particular divestment mechanism has been adopted or that AFIDA itself authorizes one.

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