Canada is the largest foreign investor, accounting for nearly 59 percent of leased acreage.
Foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land continues to attract attention, particularly regarding long-term leases for renewable energy projects.
Recent analysis of data collected through the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) highlights the growing role of foreign-held wind and solar leases across American farmland.
The findings suggest that renewable energy development remains the primary driver of foreign-held agricultural land leases. While concerns about farmland, food security, and national interests often arise in discussions about foreign investment, the data show that leased acreage represents only a small share of total U.S. farmland.
Additionally, ownership remains with the landowner, while many wind lease areas continue supporting agricultural production.
The data presents an interesting picture.
AFIDA requires foreign entities to disclose interests in U.S. agricultural land, including leases lasting ten years or longer.
While these agreements are reported alongside ownership records, leases differ significantly because they do not transfer land ownership. Once a lease expires, the land remains under the control of the original owner.
According to the analysis, foreign entities hold approximately 6.9 million acres under long-term agricultural land leases.
About 6.3 million acres, or roughly 90 percent of the leased area, are associated with wind and solar energy developments. Wind projects account for the majority of these leases, while solar projects make up a smaller but important share.
Most of the leased land remains agricultural in nature. Cropland represents approximately 76 percent of the acreage involved, while pastureland accounts for about 17 percent. Smaller portions consist of other agricultural, forest, and non-agricultural land uses.
In many wind energy projects, farming activities continue alongside energy production because turbines and related infrastructure occupy only a limited portion of the leased land. Solar facilities, however, typically use a larger share of project acreage and often remove land from crop production during the life of the project.
The leases are spread across 42 states and 555 counties. The highest concentrations are found in regions with strong wind energy resources, including Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, and parts of the Midwest. Oklahoma leads the nation with nearly one million leased acres tied to wind and solar developments.
Illinois also has a significant presence, with more than 350,000 acres under foreign-held energy leases. Most of these acres are dedicated to wind projects located in central parts of the state.
The analysis also examined the countries behind these investments. Canada is the largest foreign investor, accounting for nearly 59 percent of leased acreage.
Other major investor countries include Italy, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, and France. Together, investors from North America, Europe, and Australia represent nearly all reported wind and solar lease acreage.
As renewable energy projects expand, long-term leasing arrangements are likely to remain an important tool for balancing agricultural production, energy development, and landowner income opportunities across rural America.
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