Who Owns Montana’s Dirt? The Growing Talk On Foreign Farmland

Montanans are protective of our land, and for good reason. Out here, dirt is more than dirt. It grows our food, runs our ranches, and is a part of defining who we are. So when the conversation turns to who actually owns it, people perk up fast.

How Much Farmland Is Owned By Foreign Investors?

Across the U.S., foreign investors now hold almost 46 million acres of farmland, according to AFIDA. That is about the size of Washington state with an estimated value of $82.6 billion in 2023. The number is climbing. Last year alone more than 3.4 million acres were bought up by foreign investors.

Here in Montana we have 930,299 acres owned by foreign entities. Canada takes the biggest slice. Other countries with holdings include Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

Then there are the foreign adversaries. Nationally, China owns about 277,000 acres, Venezuela over 90,000 acres, and Iran has about 3,000 acres spread across 10 states.

You can view the USDA Foreign Farm Land Purchases map HERE.

That is why in 2023 Montana passed SB 203, a law that bans foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela from buying or leasing farmland or land tied to critical infrastructure. Governor Gianforte signed it into law, taking action where the federal government was dragging its feet.

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Bottom line is that Montana land is valuable (duh), and interest from outside buyers isn’t slowing down. The conversation about who should own America’s farmland is far from over.