Protecting U.S. Farmland Without Starting a Global Fire

The recent decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ban Chinese nationals and entities from buying American farmland is stirring headlines—and for good reason. It’s part of a larger policy push called the National Farm Security Action Plan, which aims to tighten restrictions not just on China, but on other so-called “foreign adversaries” including Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. The logic? National security. Food systems, farmland, and sensitive infrastructure near military bases should be off-limits to nations that could exploit them. And in principle, that’s a fair point.

But before we cheer too loudly, it’s worth stepping back and asking what these moves could cost us—especially if we layer them on top of another heavy-handed policy wave: tariffs.

Let’s start with the basics. The USDA is responding to genuine concerns. While foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is relatively small—China owns less than 0.1%—the location of some of that land near military installations has raised alarms. In places like North Dakota and Texas, lawmakers and intelligence officials have raised red flags about espionage or cyber threats, cloaked behind corporate acquisitions. Add to that the growing unease about America’s food security and the vulnerability of supply chains, and it’s clear why the USDA feels compelled to act.

In this light, banning farmland sales to certain foreign entities isn’t about xenophobia—it’s about prudence. It’s about ensuring that adversarial nations don’t get a foothold in one of our most vital domestic assets: the land that feeds us. It’s not just a matter of economics anymore. It’s strategic.

But—and this is a big “but”—we need to be cautious. National security concerns must not become cover for blanket economic isolationism. Because when you pair these bans with aggressive new tariffs—like those Donald Trump is pushing—you don’t just protect your backyard. You start building a wall around it. And history shows that when great powers close themselves off economically, they don’t get stronger. They get more brittle.

Tariffs may seem like a win for domestic producers in the short term, but over time, they drive up prices, disrupt trade relationships, and invite retaliation. China, for instance, has already responded to previous trade wars by slashing purchases of U.S. soybeans, corn, and pork—deals that American farmers once relied on. If we now ban their land purchases while simultaneously slapping tariffs on their goods, it shouldn’t surprise us if Beijing hits back even harder.

Worse, these types of actions can send the wrong message to neutral or even friendly nations. If the U.S. becomes overly aggressive in blocking foreign investment, we risk alienating allies who also have interests in American agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. They’ll start asking: “Are we next?” That’s not how you lead the global economy. That’s how you shrink it.

From a Christian worldview, this matters too. Scripture warns us to count the cost before building (Luke 14:28) and to treat outsiders with wisdom and grace (Colossians 4:5–6). Yes, we are to protect what God has entrusted to us—but we must also walk carefully, humbly, and wisely. Blanket suspicion of the foreigner isn’t discernment—it’s fear masquerading as patriotism.

This is not a call to let hostile regimes buy up our farmland. It’s a call to balance caution with principle, security with diplomacy. If we keep escalating every trade dispute into a new Cold War, we’ll wake up in an isolated America—economically bruised, diplomatically weakened, and no safer than before.

Let’s protect our land, yes. But let’s not turn the whole world into an enemy in the process.

Sources:

U.S. Department of Agriculture. National Farm Security Action Plan, July 2025.

“U.S. to Ban Chinese Purchases of Farmland, Citing National Security.” The Washington Post, 8 July 2025, www.washingtonpost.com.

“Trump Imposes New Round of Tariffs on Chinese and European Goods.” Reuters, 3 July 2025.

Yglesias, Matthew. The Case Against Tariffs. Vox Publishing, 2020.

The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 

Luke 14:28; Colossians 4:5–6