Arizona moves to end Saudi farm’s groundwater deal to grow alfalfa
Gov. Katie Hobbs' administration announced two measures Monday to stop a controversial Saudi Arabian company from using groundwater in a state-owned basement in western Arizona to grow and export alfalfa. Hobbs said in a statement that the Arizona Land Department has canceled one of its leases in Fondomonte, Ariz., and will not renew the remaining […]
Arizona State Retirement System divests from western Arizona alfalfa farm
The state's largest public pension fund is selling its interest in a company that owns a 3,000-acre farm in western Arizona that grows alfalfa for shipment to the Middle East. The move by the Arizona Retirement System prompted Attorney General Chris Mays to call the idea of investing in farms that export alfalfa “outrageous and […]
La Paz County fights foreign farms over water for alfalfa
Leaders in Arizona's rural counties are calling on the governor and other states to protect water supplies as Middle Eastern companies move to the state to grow alfalfa that will be shipped overseas to feed cattle. Requesting assistance from authorities. Companies from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have purchased thousands of acres in […]
Tensions are bubbling up at thirsty Arizona alfalfa farms as foreign firms exploit unregulated water
WENDEN, Ariz. (AP) – A blanket of bright green alfalfa stretches across western Arizona's McMullen Valley, surrounded by rolling mountains and warmed by the hot desert sun. Matthew Hancock's family has been using groundwater to grow forage crops here for more than 60 years. They have long been accustomed to the vagaries of Mother Nature, […]
Tensions are bubbling up at thirsty Arizona alfalfa farms as foreign firms exploit unregulated water | KTAB
WENDEN, Ariz. (AP) – A blanket of bright green alfalfa stretches across western Arizona's McMullen Valley, surrounded by rolling mountains and warmed by the hot desert sun. Matthew Hancock's family has been using groundwater to grow forage crops here for more than 60 years. They have long been accustomed to the vagaries of Mother Nature, […]
Tensions are bubbling up at thirsty Arizona alfalfa farms as foreign firms exploit unregulated water – WAVY.com
WENDEN, Ariz. (AP) – A blanket of bright green alfalfa stretches across western Arizona's McMullen Valley, surrounded by rolling mountains and warmed by the hot desert sun. Matthew Hancock's family has been using groundwater to grow forage crops here for more than 60 years. They have long been accustomed to the vagaries of Mother Nature, […]
Hobbs cancels lease for Saudi-owned alfalfa farm in Arizona
Charlie Leight/ASU News Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs speaks in Tempe on September 28, 2023. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said the state would terminate its lease with a Saudi-owned company that was farming alfalfa in Arizona. The company has been criticized for growing water-intensive crops for export during the southwest's historic drought. Fondomonte Arizona LLC has […]
Tensions are bubbling up at thirsty Arizona alfalfa farms as foreign firms exploit unregulated water – KXAN Austin
WENDEN, Ariz. (AP) – A blanket of bright green alfalfa stretches across western Arizona's McMullen Valley, surrounded by rolling mountains and warmed by the hot desert sun. Matthew Hancock's family has been using groundwater to grow forage crops here for more than 60 years. They have long been accustomed to the vagaries of Mother Nature, […]
Arizona is evicting a Saudi alfalfa farm, but the thirsty crop isn’t going anywhere
As Arizona struggles to adapt to water shortages that are depleting farms and derailing development plans, one company has emerged as the central villain. Fondomonte, an agricultural company owned by a Saudi conglomerate, has drawn heavy criticism in recent years for siphoning the country's groundwater to grow alfalfa and exporting it as feed for cattle […]
Arizona Takes Aim at Alfalfa Farming in Water-Stressed Regions
InsightproteinEnvironment: Weather and climateweAgriculture October 24, 2023 Arizona's governor has moved to terminate leases with several companies that pump groundwater to farm alfalfa on federal land, including one held by a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian dairy giant Almarai. In explaining the move, the governor said the companies had violated the terms of the agreement. But […]
