U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Ranking Member Mike Braun released a report entitled, “Feeding the Future,” which examines the challenges that older farmers are facing and provides recommendations to Congress and the Administration to secure America’s future in agriculture.
Farmers are the oldest workforce in America. 40% of the nation’s farmland is owned by farmers 65 and older. As these farmers retire over the next 20 years, it is expected that around 350 million acres of farmland will change hands, so it’s a priority that we safeguard our agricultural lands and food supply.
In March, Senator Braun introduced the Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would stop America’s top foreign adversaries (Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia) from purchasing U.S. farmland and was highlighted in a recent Senate Agriculture Committee hearing.
To ensure America’s future in agriculture, the report identifies that Congress and the federal government must adopt policies that: