MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Huge investments in agricultural lands by the world's richest people show that the world is undergoing a quiet agricultural revolution, Anatoly Tikhonov, head of the Center for International Agribusiness and Food Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), told TASS.
"While we argue about inflation and crop yields, a quiet agricultural revolution is taking place in the world. The Land Report magazine published its annual ranking of the largest private landowners in the United States in January 2026. Billionaire Stan Kroenke, owner of sports clubs and husband of a Walmart heiress, acquired more than 937,000 acres (approximately 379,000 hectares) in New Mexico. This is the largest purchase in the last decade. He now owns 2.7 million acres (approximately 1.09 million hectares). The Emmerson family is second with 2.44 million acres (approximately 988,000 hectares) of forest land, and media mogul John Malone is third with 2.2 million acres (approximately 890,000 hectares)," the expert says.
Tikhonov explains these investments in agriculture by the global food market's volatility. "Europe is rapidly losing arable land: in Denmark alone, more than €1.04 billion has been allocated for the voluntary land withdrawal program approved by the European Commission in February 2026. This will affect tens of thousands of hectares. The Netherlands, which controls half the world's seed potato exports, is facing climate risks and stricter environmental regulations. Asia is demanding more calories, and the Middle East is buying up everything that can be frozen and fried," he explains.