As US farmers brace for record harvests with dwindling export opportunities due to President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, Vice President JD Vance is facing renewed scrutiny over a possible financial link to AcreTrader, an agricultural investment platform.
Trump’s tariffs have driven up input costs like fertilizer and equipment, while Chinese retaliatory tariffs have cut off major markets for American crops like soybeans and corn. The result: falling crop prices, surplus yields with limited storage, and rising fears of a financial crisis in the farming sector.
Amid this agricultural strain, critics are resurfacing claims about Vance’s early investment in AcreTrader through Narya Capital, the venture firm he co-founded in 2020. The platform allows individuals to invest in US farmland, raising concerns about the potential for foreign ownership of American agricultural land.
Social media users have accused Vance of profiting from the sale of US farmland to outsiders while rural communities suffer from policy decisions. A viral post even alleged he’s “getting rich” while putting national interests second.
While a fact-check by Snopes clarified that AcreTrader does not market directly to foreign investors and focuses strictly on agricultural, not residential or commercial, land, it confirmed that Vance provided early financial backing. He stepped down from Narya Capital in December 2022, but it remains unclear whether he still holds a stake in the company.