Agriculture Commissioner-Elect Wilton Simpson Announces Plan to Ban Foreign Control of Florida Land
LITHIA (FLV) – Incoming Republican Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, along with Sen. Jay Collins and Rep. David Borrero, announced a proposal to restrict foreign control of Florida agriculture land and strategic military lands.
Simpson called the the proposal “Florida’s Strategic Land Plan,” which would restrict the purchase, acquisition, lease, or holding of controlling interest in agricultural land in Florida by “nonresident aliens, foreign businesses and corporations, or foreign governments.”
“We have a responsibility to ensure Floridians have access to safe, affordable and abundant food and water supply,” Simpson said.
More than one million acres of agricultural land in Florida were under foreign ownership in 2020, according to the press release.
“Florida plays a critical role in our food supply chain and in the national security of the United States,” Simpson said. “China now controls nearly 200,000 acres of agricultural land in the U.S., leaving our food supply chain, our water quality and our national security interests vulnerable to the Chinese Communist Party. Restricting foreign control of Florida’s agricultural land and key strategic military land will protect our state, provide long-term stability and preserve economic freedom.”
History should be a grim reminder that no foreign enemy, especially a communist dictatorship, should ever control any farmland in the land of the free. Our national security requires fertile, free and domestically owned farmland. With political upheaval and economic turmoil taking place in many foreign countries, Florida must act to insulate our food supply and food prices from these drastic events. Florida will act accordingly to make sure that foreign influences like China will not pose a threat to the critical food supply and food prices in our state.
Rep. David Borrero
Florida will not stand by while our lands and our water supply fall into the hands of enemies who operate in the shadows to undermine our freedom from within. Incapable of competing head-to-head, they choose subversive schemes to take our food and water hostage in hopes of crippling us from the inside. We will fight those efforts and send a clear message that Florida is not for sale.
Rep. Danny Alvarez
Preserving and protecting our agricultural community ensures a safe and reliable food supply, which is essential for all Floridians. I commend Commissioner-Elect Simpson for proposing this legislation and appreciate the growing support by legislators.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister
In an interview with Florida’s Voice before the 2022 elections, Simpson said if elected, he will work hard on “outlawing the idea that our foreign enemies can buy real estate in the state of Florida, farmlands and [agriculture] lands.”
Simpson won his election in November against Democrat Naomi Blemur by nearly 20 points. He is replacing Commissioner Nikki Fried, who was the only statewide elected Democrat from 2018-2022.
