If you sell agricultural products, raw materials, or even packaged goods online, you’ve likely noticed one uncomfortable truth: your supply chain is not as predictable as it used to be. From soybean shortages to spikes in corn futures, many of the disruptions trace back to a single, often misunderstood trend: foreign investment in U.S. farmland. And the burning question on every cross-border seller’s mind is: when did China start buying American farmland in a meaningful way?

The short answer is that Chinese investment in U.S. farmland began accelerating around 2013, but the real story starts decades earlier. Understanding this timeline isn’t just trivia—it’s a strategic tool. Whether you source raw ingredients, manufacture goods, or dropship farm equipment, knowing when and why China entered the American agricultural market can help you anticipate price shifts, secure better contracts, and protect your margins.

Let’s dig into the history, the data, and—most importantly—what it means for your e-commerce business.

Early Foundations: The Pre-2010 Era

To understand when did China start buying American farmland, we have to go back to the late 20th century. Prior to 2000, Chinese individuals and entities owned virtually no U.S. farmland. The reasons were simple: China was focused on domestic food security, its currency was not convertible, and U.S. regulations around foreign land ownership were stricter.

However, a few isolated purchases occurred in the 1990s. For example, a Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE) acquired a small plot in Texas for agricultural research. These were exceptions, not trends. If you were selling online in the early 2000s, Chinese farmland ownership was irrelevant to your business.

  • Key takeaway for sellers: Before 2000, zero need to factor Chinese land investment into your supply chain planning.
  • Data point: In 1995, Chinese-owned farmland in the U.S. was less than 2,000 acres.

The Turning Point: 2013-2015

This is the critical period when the answer to when did China start buying American farmland shifts from “rarely” to “noticeably.” Why 2013? Several factors converged:

  1. Chinese food safety scandals (2008-2012) had eroded consumer trust in domestic produce, creating demand for “clean” U.S. imports.
  2. The U.S. economy was recovering from the 2008 recession, and farmland prices were still relatively low compared to Chinese real estate.
  3. The Chinese government’s “Go Global” policy encouraged state-backed companies to invest overseas in strategic assets—including food production.

In 2013, the Chinese company COFCO (China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation) made its first major U.S. farmland purchase: 500 acres of soybean and corn land in Iowa. This wasn’t massive in scale, but it was symbolic. More importantly, it opened the floodgates.

“By 2015, Chinese entities owned approximately 50,000 acres of U.S. farmland, mostly in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. For e-commerce sellers of grain-based or livestock products, this was the moment to start watching.”

What this means for your e-commerce store: If you sell items like organic flour, pet food, or protein powders, the 2013-2015 window marked the beginning of a structural shift in commodity availability. Chinese buyers were no longer just customers—they were competitors for raw materials.

The Acceleration: 2016-2019

This period is where the timeline really heats up. If you’re asking when did China start buying American farmland at a scale that impacts global supply chains, the answer is 2016. Why? Two words: Smithfield Foods and soybean demand.

In 2016, Chinese-owned company Shuanghui International (which had already acquired Smithfield Foods in 2013) began aggressively purchasing farmland to support its hog farming operations. By 2018, Chinese groups owned over 150,000 acres of U.S. farmland. The purchase pattern was clear: focus on states like Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and Texas—the breadbasket of America.

  • 2017: Chinese investors bought 1.6 million acres of timberland in Arkansas and Oregon (though classified as forestry, much of it was converted to agricultural use).
  • 2018: A Chinese company purchased 20,000 acres in North Dakota for sunflower and wheat production.
  • 2019: Total Chinese-owned U.S. farmland reached approximately 192,000 acres, according to USDA data.

Impact on cross-border e-commerce: This is where you need to pay attention. As Chinese entities locked up U.S. farmland, they effectively removed those acres from the open market. This reduced supply for third-party buyers, including small and mid-sized producers that sell to your store. The result? Higher commodity prices for ingredients like soybeans, corn, and wheat.

  1. Tip for sellers: If you source from U.S. farms, check the ownership of your supplier’s land. An entity like a Chinese SOE may already control the acreage.
  2. Strategy: Consider multi-year contracts with price ceilings to hedge against Chinese-driven demand spikes.

The Pandemic Effect: 2020-2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the question when did China start buying American farmland took on new urgency. From 2020 to 2022, Chinese investment surged as Beijing sought to stabilize its food supply chains during global disruptions.

In 2020 alone, Chinese entities bought or leased an additional 50,000 acres of U.S. farmland. Notable acquisitions included:

  • Fufeng Group (a Chinese biotech firm) purchased 370 acres in South Dakota for a $700 million soybean processing plant—plus surrounding farmland.
  • Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture (named after the father of hybrid rice) acquired farmland in Illinois for experimental rice-growing projects.
  • Numerous smaller purchases by Chinese individuals and family offices in California’s Central Valley and Florida’s citrus belt.

By 2022, Chinese-owned U.S. farmland exceeded 350,000 acres. While that’s still less than 0.03% of all U.S. farmland, the concentration in specific regions and crops (soybeans, corn, pork, almonds) is what matters for sellers.

“For an e-commerce business selling almond butter, for example, you may find that 15% of California almond orchards are now Chinese-owned. That gives them pricing power over your ingredient costs.”

Current Trends: 2023-Present

As of 2025, the pace of Chinese farmland buying has slowed slightly due to increased scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) now requires stricter reporting, and 15 states have introduced bills restricting foreign ownership of farmland.

However, the question when did China start buying American farmland is no longer hypothetical—it’s a market reality. Current estimates suggest Chinese entities hold between 400,000 and 500,000 acres of U.S. farmland (including leases). The most valuable acquisitions are in:

  • Midwest Corn Belt (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana): Grain and livestock feed.
  • California: Almonds, walnuts, and citrus.
  • Pacific Northwest: Wheat and potatoes.
  • Southeast: Soybeans and cotton.

What this means for your online store in 2025:

  1. Price volatility: Chinese demand for U.S. agricultural land will continue to tighten supply for non-commodity buyers. Expect price swings in soy products, pork, and feed.
  2. Alternative sourcing: Consider multi-country sourcing strategies. If Chinese ownership skews the U.S. market for almonds, explore sourcing from Australia or Spain.
  3. Transparency tools: Use tools like USDA’s AFIDA database to check if the farm behind your supplier is Chinese-owned. This can give you leverage