A Saudi Arabian farm previously permitted to pump unlimited amounts of groundwater to grow alfalfa for dairy cows overseas has stopped irrigating its crops on state land in Arizona’s Butler Valley, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Thursday.
Hobbs and the Arizona State Land Department announced after a recent inspection Fondomonte had stopped pumping water in the Butler Valley groundwater basin and has begun to take steps to leave the property.
Hobbs took full credit for the outcome, saying it was a result of her move to terminate and decline to renew Fondomonte’s leases on state land in the area, part of a broader crackdown from Hobbs and her Democratic attorney general Kris Mayes.
“Today is the start of a new chapter for Arizona’s water future,” Hobbs said in a statement. “I’m not afraid to hold people accountable, maximize value for the state land trust, and protect Arizona’s water security.”
Arizona’s State Land Department used to lease thousands of acres to Fondomonte Arizona LLC, a farming operation owned by Middle East dairy giant Almarai Company, [CNN previously reported](https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/us/arizona-saudi-farm-fondomonte-water-climate/index.html). The state land department leased more than 6,000 acres to Fondomonte, it told CNN in 2022, making it the second-largest agricultural lessor of Arizona land.
7 comments
A Saudi Arabian farm previously permitted to pump unlimited amounts of groundwater to grow alfalfa for dairy cows overseas has stopped irrigating its crops on state land in Arizona’s Butler Valley, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Thursday.
Hobbs and the Arizona State Land Department announced after a recent inspection Fondomonte had stopped pumping water in the Butler Valley groundwater basin and has begun to take steps to leave the property.
Hobbs took full credit for the outcome, saying it was a result of her move to terminate and decline to renew Fondomonte’s leases on state land in the area, part of a broader crackdown from Hobbs and her Democratic attorney general Kris Mayes.
“Today is the start of a new chapter for Arizona’s water future,” Hobbs said in a statement. “I’m not afraid to hold people accountable, maximize value for the state land trust, and protect Arizona’s water security.”
Arizona’s State Land Department used to lease thousands of acres to Fondomonte Arizona LLC, a farming operation owned by Middle East dairy giant Almarai Company, [CNN previously reported](https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/03/us/arizona-saudi-farm-fondomonte-water-climate/index.html). The state land department leased more than 6,000 acres to Fondomonte, it told CNN in 2022, making it the second-largest agricultural lessor of Arizona land.
========
*Please share your thoughts with us in the comments — we want to hear from you. See* [*more from this article*](https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/07/us/foreign-farm-fondomonte-groundwater-arizona/index.html) *or* [*CNN Climate*](https://www.instagram.com/cnnclimate) *on Instagram.*
Great. Though I’m willing to bet Hobbs won’t go after big tech that is doing the same thing for their stupid AI servers.
Great. Though I’m willing to bet Hobbs won’t go after big tech that is doing the same thing for their stupid AI servers.
Great. Though I’m willing to bet Hobbs won’t go after big tech that is doing the same thing for their stupid AI servers.
Isn’t this only 1 of 35 foreign owned farms that are doing this in AZ?
It’s a start….
Isn’t this only 1 of 35 foreign owned farms that are doing this in AZ?
It’s a start….
Isn’t this only 1 of 35 foreign owned farms that are doing this in AZ?
It’s a start….