New Online Portal for Foreign Farmland Reporting

Jan 26, 2026
By Farms.com

New digital system improves transparency and enforcement of foreign land ownership

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new online portal to simplify and strengthen the reporting of foreign interests in U.S. agricultural land. The portal supports enforcement of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978, also known as AFIDA.

The new digital system is part of USDA’s broader effort to protect American farmland through the National Farm Security Action Plan. This plan focuses on increasing transparency, improving data accuracy, and strengthening oversight of foreign ownership of agricultural land across the United States.

“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,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins.

“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,” said Rollins.

Under AFIDA, foreign individuals, businesses, and governments must report transactions involving U.S. farmland. The new portal allows users to securely submit required information online using Login.gov, a trusted federal sign-in service. The system collects the same information currently required on Form FSA-153, which has traditionally been filed in paper format.

While the new portal offers a faster and more efficient reporting option, USDA confirmed that filers may continue using the paper FSA-153 form if they prefer. However, users are advised not to submit information through both methods to avoid duplicate filings.

USDA officials say the online portal will help improve compliance and allow for better verification and monitoring of foreign land ownership data. Accurate reporting is critical to ensuring that farmland ownership aligns with national security and agricultural policy goals.

The National Farm Security Action Plan, announced in July 2025, places strong emphasis on improving AFIDA processes. As part of this effort, USDA is working to modernize systems, strengthen enforcement, and enhance oversight of foreign interests in U.S. farmland.

In December 2025, USDA also released an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to AFIDA. This step signals continued efforts to update regulations and improve long-term monitoring of foreign farmland ownership.

The launch of the new portal marks an important step toward protecting American agricultural land while ensuring transparency and accountability in foreign investment reporting. Access the portal here: https://afida.landmark.usda.gov/

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