U.S. Ag Industry Has Increased Its Foreign Investments In Past Decade, Government Data Shows

Feb 16, 2023

By Sky Chadde and Investigate Midwest

Over the past decade, the agriculture sector has grown its investment in foreign holdings at a higher clip than most other industries, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Compared to other major industries, foreign investment from U.S. agriculture is still very small, the data shows. But, in the past 10 years, the investment amount has increased by more than 300% — the second highest jump.

While the data does not specify individual companies, it includes companies involved in animal and crop production. In particular, crop production companies have vastly increased their foreign holdings: from about $2 billion in 2011 to about $12 billion in 2021.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.