Why Are Saudis Buying Up Farmland in Drought-Stricken Western U.S.?

As western U.S. states suffer through droughts and water shortages, foreign companies are buying farmland there to alleviate water shortages of their own. For instance, Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company bought up 15,000 acres in California and Arizona to harvest alfalfa for cattle.

As the Saudis and other foreign-owned companies drill wells and drain aquifers, some farmers are sounding the alarm about what’s happening and asking why this is legal. The reporter who broke the story, Nathan Halverson, explained it on Happening Now. He said that essentially, the United States is exporting water to Saudi Arabia in the form of alfalfa and hay. READ MORE