A bipartisan state law will forbid foreign governments from purchasing land for farming in California.
Additionally, Senate Bill 224 might mandate that the state keep records of and release a yearly report on international ownership of assets in California. As per a 2021 U.S. Department of Agriculture study, international investors hold 2.8% of California’s land; nevertheless, if the proposal is approved, they will be able to keep the land they own.
Senator Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat from the Bakersfield region, is the author of the measure. According to her, the goal is to give California authority over the nation’s food chain.
According to a planned statement by Hurtado, “The farmland in California is essential to our state’s GDP because it generates two-thirds of the vegetables and nuts and one-third of the fruits and veggies in our nation.” “This bill is a key component of how we obtain the data required to gain an improved awareness of the possible foreign-owned governments on our electricity, water, and farming lands.”
The California Seed Association, which opposes the bill, is represented by Dennis Albiani. According to him, the action can have unexpected repercussions.