NALC’s Pittman, Brown Featured In Foreign Ownership Panel At National Event

DREW VIGUET

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

National Agricultural Law Center Director Harrison Pittman and Staff Attorney Micah Brown will participate in a panel on foreign ownership of U.S. land at one of the nation’s premier agricultural events in January.

The panel is a part of the Jan. 9 Land Investment Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. According to the event website, “the Land Investment Expo has become a main event for office holders, office seekers, and prominent agricultural industry voices to provide keen insight and debate the events of today and the future of tomorrow.”

Pittman and Brown will be joined by David Bergvall, director of policy and environment for Manulife Investment Management Timberland and Agriculture and Todd Friedman, co-chair of Stoel Rives Agribusiness, Food, Beverage and Timber Industry Group. Registration for the event is online, with in-person and livestream options available.

Brown is a leading national expert on foreign ownership of agricultural land. He has created resources on the topic, including the Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land: FAQs and Resource Library.

Pittman and Brown frequently present on the topic of foreign ownership at events throughout the country, from agricultural conferences and farm bureau meetings to national hearings. In September, Pittman testified on the topic during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry. Brown also testified in September before the Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce Study Committee on Acquisition of Farmland.

“While the conversation regarding foreign ownership of U.S. land has grown over the last decade, it has grown immensely in 2023,” Pittman said. “It’s one of the most active issues at both the state and federal levels, if not the most. That trend looks to continue into 2024.”

In 2023, more than half of the states in the country took some form of action regarding foreign ownership. In October, Arkansas became the first state in the country to enforce a state foreign ownership law. The first legal challenge to a state foreign ownership law was Shen v. Simpson in Florida, in which the judge ultimately decided that Florida may continue enacting its foreign ownership law.

More information on foreign ownership, including which states have put forth proposals and which have enacted laws, is available online at the NALC website.

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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 DREW VIGUET: University of Arkansas