Saudi company draws unlimited Arizona ground water for crop illegal to grow in Saudi Arabia

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Жыл бұрын

Alfalfa is one of the world's most water-intensive crops, and thousands of acres of land in drought-parched western Arizona are dedicated to growing it. Even more concerning to some are the farms, with the largest chunks of land in La Paz County owned by a company in Saudi Arabia. All the crops it grows are exported back home to the Middle East.
#news #arizona #saudiarabia
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Пікірлер: 3 700

@Jeanne90275 Жыл бұрын

Colorado River water has been a contentious issue for decades. The idea that Arizona has allowed this precious commodity to be squandered on Saudi leased land (@ $25an acre!) is criminal or criminally stupid. The southwest is a desert and water conservation is essential.

@KA-uv8gq Жыл бұрын

The problem is that we view and treat water as s commodity to begin with.

@HiThisIsMine Жыл бұрын

@@KA-uv8gq - is that really “the problem”?? Because if we actually viewed water as a commodity in the first place… we wouldn’t be giving it away for free to another country. The valuable resource to the Arizona officials who agreed to this deal, was whatever kickbacks they were getting from the Saudi’s. THE problem… is that we often DON’T look at water as a commodity, and many government officials look at their own bottom line rather than that of the citizens. Water is absolutely a commodity.

@snigs5T5 Жыл бұрын

That's Republican'ts for ya!

@stick9758 Жыл бұрын

I just moved from Az back to the U.P. Of Michigan. I spent 5 years in Phoenix area. I was born in the west and moved to the water states when I was 10. It was a big change but people here don’t waist water like they do there! I was BLOWN away by how they flood there blocks weekly!! Crazy!! The trees and plants brought in absurdity!! I still can’t understand it even after moving back

@stick9758 Жыл бұрын

And my water bill is almost 2x what it was in Gilbert!!!!! Same family, same amount of water!! Twice the cost but more available!!!

@sharonkinsella7435 Жыл бұрын

As an Arizonan, thank you for shining a light on this outrageous issue!! I appreciate that the attorney general of Arizona has been trying to do something about it.

@arizonaadventures3421 Жыл бұрын

Alfalfa is one of the easiest crops to grow in the desert. If you have land rights and have a well you have access to that water. BLM exists and you can pay to have rights on that land. It sounds bad but sounds legal too. Im on a well and one of the benefits is i don't have to pay the government for water. This situation sucks but sounds above board to me. We have a lot of alfalfa farms up north in Arizona too. They are all small family owned farms. This sounds more like a story to invite fear in people. Most states have water rights laws that basically state if you dont use the water you lose it, forcing farmers to flood their lands even when they are not growing crops. This is a government rights and legal issue not a saudi theft corruption issue.

@nekopop8159 Жыл бұрын

@@arizonaadventures3421 That’s right. Therefore we need to address the Saudis stealing our water and farmland. We let them in because they seemed good, but then they are not. It’s their problem.

@MC_1993 Жыл бұрын

This will destroy your state.

@arizonaadventures3421 Жыл бұрын

@@nekopop8159 The thing is if we are addressing the Saudis we must also address every other farmer or land owner/renter that has well water rights. International business exists. Americans own business in other countries as well. I don't think it would be safe to attack an individual group. I believe its the foundation of agro laws that needs to be looked at. Its the foundation that creates fairness. Its what the United States used to be about.

@topherkrump9317 Жыл бұрын

Saudi should have a right to use all the Arizona water it wants.

@bjoe631 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for bring this problem to the public.

@bjoe631 Жыл бұрын

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@Florencecoxx Жыл бұрын

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@bjoe631 Жыл бұрын

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@Florencecoxx Жыл бұрын

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@thamad311 Жыл бұрын

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@solart78 Жыл бұрын

Someone needs to be held accountable for allowing this. Outrageous

@shanel7707 Жыл бұрын

Look at a world map, the fact that it made sense for a company to grow it in AZ and ship it all the way to Saudia Arabia vs all the other options in Afria/Asia/Europe means there's a major issue how AZ is regulating and charging for its water use. It has nothing to do with who owns the company.

@Group_Anonymous Жыл бұрын

Canada bars foreigners from buying real estate…..and taxes those who already own property. WE DONT 🇺🇸💰

@kensmechanicalaffair Жыл бұрын

Agreed.

@hus390 Жыл бұрын

Bingo!! Foreign owned is not a problem per say, if they are investigating it in a mutually beneficial way. In this case, they actually leased the land, and didn't bought it. The use is the problem. Here the harm to AZ far exceeds any benefits (badly needed fresh water are taken for fractions of a cent, and used to grow a crop that will be shipped overseas).

@canyonmonkey2537 Жыл бұрын

It's a strategic plan to limit resources 8n an already arid southwest. You grow alfalfa 8n Kansas not Arizona. The only caviat to Arizona is the mild winters in say yuma....where most of the world winter supply of lettuce is grown. If Saudi Arabia wants Arizona or Kansas alfalfa, you buy it... from an American farmer

@Optim40 Жыл бұрын

That's true.

@tragicrhythm Жыл бұрын

Those state officials should be investigated especially their finances. If there was no advantage to be made in this lease by the state, then something else was going on.

@mdj-ie7rj Жыл бұрын

Exactly! While it’s maddening that Saudi Arabia (and others) are draining the aquifer; it is being done legally due to insane az laws which should have come to a halt long ago! The public has a right to know who is benefitting. The state land department leased and sold land to them-it isnt impossible to obtain the signatures from govt archives and pinpoint who was and is, responsible. Investigate!

@travisyarbrough4033 Жыл бұрын

Saudi's do everything with money .......

@iketheranter9126 Жыл бұрын

🎯👍

@hairjezus Жыл бұрын

Facts

@platinumpineapple9943 Жыл бұрын

100% being paid millions by corrupt saudi mo ey

@dboogeman2002 Жыл бұрын

Finally thanks for bringing this to the masses but many of us have known this for awhile.

@haypaul61 9 ай бұрын

Thank you Saudi Arabia... for investing in the welfare of Arizona farmers...🎉

@CarlosRodriguez-hb3vq Жыл бұрын

Similar thing happens with American owned corporate farms. They drill deep, expensive wells and pump 24/7. Poor folks see their wells dry up.

@LegalFiction. Жыл бұрын

It is sad but at least that food stays here

@hyphen2612 Жыл бұрын

Naw, because the products are consumed mostly by Americans so that makes it okay 😊

@147gcg Жыл бұрын

@@LegalFiction. what food?

@ilikecinema1234 Жыл бұрын

@@147gcgThey're referring to the poison that's in your grocery stores

@147gcg Жыл бұрын

@@ilikecinema1234 yes I do understand that but on this video they said they are growing alfalfa and shipping it back to their country to feed their cows while depleting our groundwater that we desperately need

@FJB-HB-KH-libs Жыл бұрын

It's about time this is getting headlines. No other foreign country should be able to use our land and our water for their crop. Especially if Arizona is in a "drought". We have had record rain and snow this year and all the reservoirs are full but the wells, groundwater are empty. Saudi isn't the only one either. All of it needs to stop.

@3xsxs953 Жыл бұрын

You realize America has been doing the same in other countries for decades, right? Lmao. Look up banana republics.

@ezraleslie1361 Жыл бұрын

@@3xsxs953 no. amrrikka. fug yah.

@Teeveepicksures Жыл бұрын

Has nothing to do with other countries. Arizona State Legislature won't do anything because they want their payoffs.

@saundracoveal2752 Жыл бұрын

Exactly! And, if they are allowed to this, they should be paying through the roof!

@canyonmonkey2537 Жыл бұрын

China owns alot of land here too.

@Phla58 Жыл бұрын

This is outrageous! But honestly this is actually a case of don't hate the player hate the game - it really means that state politicians need to make some changes that target this kind of international farming tactic. Good reporting for shedding light on this important issue as the whole region runs low on water.

@kimm6589 Жыл бұрын

I'm glad this is finally making mainstream news. It's insane that foreign countries can essentially ship out our ground water, from deserts ffs.

@jeffery1855 Жыл бұрын

How does Arizona not realize the precarious situation they’re in in terms of water? They’re literally developing themselves into becoming another death valley or a dust bowl part 2

@jacksevert3099 Жыл бұрын

Arizona was run by Republican Doug Ducey when this happened. Now that a Democrat is Governor this is finally becoming news.. let that sink in.

@wheeltolive1117 Жыл бұрын

@@jacksevert3099 exactly. Katie Hobbs had to stop the contract.

@bjonh3099 Жыл бұрын

Yep. The housing market is going to be great in az once the water runs out.

@gabrielbustamante5801 Жыл бұрын

@@jacksevert3099 there is always one to bark when not needed lol

@gabrielbustamante5801 Жыл бұрын

Because these conversations could lead to misunderstandings and or political fights

@guru47pi Жыл бұрын

The problem isn't that it's foreign owned, the problem is that the water isn't being regulated appropriately. Arizona needs to regulate its groundwater usage

@mtk635 Жыл бұрын

Foreigner owned farmland is a huge problem tf is wrong with you

@magesalmanac6424 Жыл бұрын

No the problem is definitely that it’s foreign owned. We’re using OUR resources to grow products for another country? And do Americans who aren’t fatcat CEOs benefit from this??

@albertrehlander1542 Жыл бұрын

If it's foreign, and on our soil it's bad.

@USAKing1776NASCAR Жыл бұрын

The problem is both the land being foreign owned and there’s no regulation for groundwater use.

@Group_Anonymous Жыл бұрын

Let it burn🔥

@therewill1584 10 ай бұрын

I'm just smiling throughout the video and while reading the comments, thank you MBS

@ProGaming-tc9jp Жыл бұрын

Whats actually insane is people choose to live in a desert and are surprised there’s not enough water lol

@guze_wolf9973 10 ай бұрын

Yeah that’s how the oil was found and being used by the whole world , Saudi have water from the sea and lakes, the problem is that it’s a bad place to grow anything

@colleeporter2657 Жыл бұрын

This is outrageous Why are we selling our farm land to foreign countries ?

@Rick-tb4so Жыл бұрын

Because Politicians are making money..

@niklavsgailans123456 Жыл бұрын

It's not that this happens in USA only. Rich US cronies are also buying land and properties OUTSIDE of their own land that is US. Welcome to neo-liberal world where rich kids get to buy land and properties where they want. Greed rules this planet.

@eliharp3576 Жыл бұрын

Technically, the country is up for grabs one acre at a time. Sad to say but it can literally be bought out from under us.

@someutubchannel69 Жыл бұрын

For $$$$$$

@eliharp3576 Жыл бұрын

@@someutubchannel69 The land is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.🤔

@joe2249 Жыл бұрын

Good to see journalists actually doing there job, great coverage of this terrible problem.

@seeharvester Жыл бұрын

Flying around in taxpayer funded jets looking at the scenery.

@juanrodriguez6707 Жыл бұрын

This is good reporting! Thanks for heads up on this state issue

@callmebackfriday2 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video.

@gigif8566 Жыл бұрын

Corruption at it's worst. Follow the money.

@rainmaker3700 Жыл бұрын

Yes, because we have the most corrupt government in the world. They will sell out every American.

@ghostmanscores1666 Жыл бұрын

Democrats

@dk3941 Жыл бұрын

Leads to gop. The gop have close ties with Saudis. Look at donald's children.

@wolfman3295 Жыл бұрын

@@ghostmanscores1666 Loser! democrats are trying to fight this!

@powermatt9001 Жыл бұрын

@@ghostmanscores1666 or... just follow the money.

@stacyrethman9532 Жыл бұрын

During the signing of the lease, someone's pocket was stuffed with cash. Its disgusting to know a foreign company is doing this but we also do this to each other. I know of a area here in my state that farmers will directional drill across the border to steal water from another state. In my own backyard a few farmers are building ponds to catch run off and feed irrigation units out of these ponds, which is somewhat ok but there is some talk that 2 of these farmers have wells that also feed these ponds... That is our ground water for rural water districts which is already hurting from hog confinements that have sprung up over the last 20+ years... Which our tax dollar help build each and everyone of those confinements...

@vivekr4690 Жыл бұрын

But you mean to say it is perfectly alright when Uncle Sam does it? Uncle Sam extracts oil from hundreds of countries and sell coke there.

@Jeromeeb Жыл бұрын

@@vivekr4690so which oil company is owned by uncle sam again?

@vivekr4690 Жыл бұрын

@@Jeromeeb enron has done lots of great work by spilling oil !

@Jeromeeb Жыл бұрын

@@vivekr4690 thats a cool story, but uncle sam never owned enron

@vivekr4690 Жыл бұрын

@@Jeromeeb Companies which are based in America do not give a damn about environment or rules elsewhere. They pay fines only in US.

@LuckyDuckie115 Жыл бұрын

Fyi Fondomonte shopped around to other states too (California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah etc...) for the Alfalfa farm project, all those states rejected their offer except Arizona, GOOD JOB ARIZONA... People should be investigating if any Arizona legislator got kickbacks

@siobhanebert6965 Жыл бұрын

This is literally insane.

@asmrdesigned Жыл бұрын

Arizona has been one of the most abused states in the country. Overrun with abusive and negligent developers.

@1stamendmentmedia464 Жыл бұрын

Well blame this one on (former) Doug Duce this was his doing. All done with his blessing.

@TheeDrSack Жыл бұрын

Motorola way back when destroyed billions of gallons of deep aquifer water, still has issues to this day

@Teeveepicksures Жыл бұрын

AZ State Legislature is corrupt by design.

@travisyarbrough4033 Жыл бұрын

Ya Get What Ya Vote For .......

@xmateinc Жыл бұрын

Yea when you have republicans running things, the only thing they care about is money.

@JPabloRL Жыл бұрын

I really hope this story gets more national attention. This isn’t a new and it’s been going on for quite some time. The Southwest really needs to sit down and have a serious adult bipartisan discussion about their water resources.

@jacksevert3099 Жыл бұрын

Arizona was run by Republican Doug Ducey when this happened. Now that a Democrat is Governor this is finally becoming news.. let that sink in.

@bruh-so8vp Жыл бұрын

@@jacksevert3099 yet the republican economic policies are why people are fleeing from blue states to states like arizona. Any person can be corrupt but republican policies are just better.

@moctezuma1341 Жыл бұрын

Your American corporations do the same thing in other countries

@JPabloRL Жыл бұрын

@@jacksevert3099 It “sank” in years ago (wanted to point out the water pun).

@JPabloRL Жыл бұрын

@@moctezuma1341 I did some looking. The Swiss with Nestle is the worst.

@Sheri_L89 Жыл бұрын

Wow that is crazy and mind blowing that the government would allow such thing to happen in our country, to one of our states. I'm all for the U.S. making business overseas but in an advantage that will help us as well to where it's a win win situation. This needs to be fixed immediately! The people need to stand against this or nothing will change or be done to help the state of Arizona.

@EridanusYT Жыл бұрын

Do you think that the state of Arizona isn't winning a lot of money back and I mean A LOT from that Saudi owned company or else why would they be okay with it in first place! that tells me that it is a win-win situation at least in the officials eyes which at the end of the day the one who legally allows stuff so I wouldn't call it a win-lose situation they must be getting A LOT OF MONEY in return

@EridanusYT Жыл бұрын

You all angry but with respect didn't the US come to Middle East and spread chaos and invade countries like Iraq and even stole stuff from the Middle East in history!? what about taking the Saudi oil for years when an American company was digging the oil for the Saudis and giving them barely enough and taking most of it back to America for free! till Saudi decided to make Aramco a Saudi company owned to the country of Saudi Arabia! so in history USA did the same for many and many years to the Saudi oil. It's just returning the favour if you ask me.

@blumobean Жыл бұрын

The intelligence of our country is amazing.

@containedhurricane Жыл бұрын

The US companies also extracted other countries' natural resources legally

@thesaudiman2108 Жыл бұрын

People are dumb it’s called a good business deal 😂

@ThatGuy-zh3vu Жыл бұрын

This isn't a US thing this is an Arizona thing

@khadijahjokolo144 Жыл бұрын

You mean illegally? I was waiting for this comment. The irony! 😂😂

@thesaudiman2108 Жыл бұрын

@@ThatGuy-zh3vu Damn Why you hating on Saudi let a brother have a come up on the expense of America We Up Now 🤣You have Syrian oil common man

@Defied_-vw2jz Жыл бұрын

@@thesaudiman2108 alternate energy other then combustional gas, but also solar charge

@pmclaughlin4111 Жыл бұрын

Its less about which corporate entity owns the land. It is about water policy period. Explain how a massive American company pumping out all the water would make things better.

@Group_Anonymous Жыл бұрын

Canada bars foreigners from buying real estate…..and taxes those who already own property. WE DONT 🇺🇸💰

@JohnEboyee Жыл бұрын

You put restrictions on who can lease Arizona's state land trust. It certainly shouldn't be big Corp.

@Ap_twsh Жыл бұрын

i dont need saudi arabian policy here in the US, WTf they influence governments, how do you think they have been pumping water.

@Mudmuffin Жыл бұрын

@@Ap_twsh have fun with 8 dollar gas then. Watch your gases prices next your I bet youll convert to Islam 😂😂😂

@pmclaughlin4111 Жыл бұрын

@Ap-gk7kr Are you saying you really don't care about the water problem? You only care about race. You know what people who think race is the big problem are, dont you.. My opinion, the problem is eater usage and depletion not race.

@coryferguson Жыл бұрын

As a rancher I 100% agree on stopping this. Alfalfa root system goes 13 feet under ground!! Farmers here in America are paying 150$ a bale for wheat straw..... per bale! When in 2017 I could buy it for 45 dollars a bale.... alfalfa good quality leafy not steam. Even green. 😍 125 a ton if bulk.... it's now 300 if you can find it. Tbh yall. Between the historic nation wide drought and cost to produce. Farmers and ranchers like Meares suffering. Thank yall for reading. Have a nice day.

@TwentyHz Жыл бұрын

The end of the segment reminds me of Don’t Look Up lol

@scotthushbeck4129 Жыл бұрын

This farm has been growing alfalfa for years before FondoMonte bought it. The alfalfa was then sold to Saudi dairies by the previous owners. Only difference is who owns it. Same thing happens in Palo Verde Valley, Imperial Valley, etc. If an American owned company owned it the alfalfa would still be sold to Saudi dairies. It’s political grandstanding. I bet everyone else in that area and that get water from the Central Arizona Project have subsidized water or same price per acre foot.

@jacksevert3099 Жыл бұрын

Yup. And people get mad at Bill Gates and the CCP doing the same. Telling them no would be COMMUNISM

@dom1abc1mbc Жыл бұрын

the reason almarai (the parent company) invested in fondomonte, and the US in general is because although its more expensive than other countries it is considered a safe politically, environmentally, and socially, tarnishing that image would cascade a ripple effect of divestment out of the US from many countries but especially saudi arabia.

@nicolassaarni88 Жыл бұрын

What a terrible situation. This needs to be stopped immediately

@pallidavisholubar7273 Жыл бұрын

Water wars were a subject I read about in grade school and now that I'm 74 it is finally in the News, good public policy can stop or prevent this kind of corruption.

@1stcavw247 7 ай бұрын

Proud of AZ😊

@TheMrSmirky Жыл бұрын

im glad you are covering this. ive been concerned about this for the last few months

@noyopacific Жыл бұрын

I appreciate the issues of water conservation however the implication of the situation at the beginning of the story was false. The rancher with a dry well surrounded by vast alfalfa fields was presented as if this use of water to grow alfalfa were causing his well to go dry. This is a blatant lie. The alfalfa fields are irrigated from Colorado River water diversions. If anything this use would help maintain the ground water level rather than cause it to drop. I very much support efforts to manage water resources. This type of phony story creates a false impression which does not help the effort to manage water better. It is a classic false flag diversion which is presented to send the opposition off to fight a meaningless battle. 🤬

@TheMrSmirky Жыл бұрын

@@noyopacific good to know. While this is true, them growing alfalfa on the land would help the ground water table. If they aren’t pulling from ground water and are only diverting water. My concern was more that a foreign government is using Arizona water resources to grow food for their country in a desert. Specially since they won’t grow it in their desert cause alfalfa takes to much water. Considering that Arizona has been in a drought multiple years. It seems dumb to me to be letting other people use the water we will soon be needing. This seems to just be another instance of the US being hollowed out just to make a quick dollar.

@noyopacific Жыл бұрын

@@TheMrSmirky I appreciate your concerns about foreign ownership of land and the use of water. I expect that the water rights are held by whoever owns the land. Adding restrictions to foreign ownership of land would probably involve some major changes in the law. It might also require that the government seize the water rights that go with the land and pay the owners for the loss of access to the water. Any changes of this sort are likely to involve some complex issues and might take a lot of money.

@TheMrSmirky Жыл бұрын

@@noyopacific I appreciate you nice responses. You are a polite person to talk to. Keep being great 😁

@jacksevert3099 Жыл бұрын

Arizona was run by Republican Doug Ducey when this happened. Now that a Democrat is Governor this is finally becoming news.. let that sink in.

@MMPCTV Жыл бұрын

I've read about this a number of times and it's comical that the "America First" party was turning off water to cities in Arizona while allowing a foreign government to use unlimited water to grow crops for horses!

@p.c2750 9 ай бұрын

But the water(most of it) ultimately returns back to the aquifer. Except that it will take a while before the water sips through long length of soil to get to the aquifer. Someone please educate me if am wrong.

@hamletgiragosian6147 Жыл бұрын

It’s a bit contradictory at 3:03: if the alfalfa is dry, how can you say that the water is being exported?

@jasoncarlow4516 Жыл бұрын

I really thought that the grass was going to feed American cows and was just foreign owned and it’s actually all being exported to Saudi is just shocking 🤯

@Group_Anonymous Жыл бұрын

Canada bars foreigners from buying real estate…. and taxes those who already own property. WE DONT 🇺🇸💰

@drmustjab Жыл бұрын

Same, as USA build Military Base in Middle East 😂

@TORNTOA Жыл бұрын

Saudi pumping all that oil for Americans to drive to buy a cheeseburger. Shocking!

@TORNTOA Жыл бұрын

We live in a global society where commodities and constantly traded. It’s just the just the way it is.

@TORNTOA Жыл бұрын

Fun fact, most pork that you consume is owned by Chinese companies that bought out us pig farms.

@jessedevilbiss8436 Жыл бұрын

Utah does this also. Have been for a long time. The avocado farms and almond farms in California are also wildly destructive to the water table. It's been going on for decades.

@jacksevert3099 Жыл бұрын

It's ok if it's Americans doing it on American land. Saying otherwise is Big Government Communism

@ko7975 Жыл бұрын

California's farm lands are sinking due to empty aquifers. The studies been goin since the 80s I believe

@THall-vi8cp Жыл бұрын

I've been bitching about our orchards in CA for a while. That land could be used to grow crops that yield all year. Instead we grow trees that take water all year but produce one crop annually.

@sean2015 Жыл бұрын

What this country needs is water pipelines. If we have oil pipelines we can build water pipelines. Don’t tell me it’s because there’s no profit to be made. Water is life.

@pktdbgnzwl Жыл бұрын

The water used for the USA is a good use of water. Exporting water/alfalfa is not.

@johnzonker6517 Жыл бұрын

My question is this, what laws are they breaking?

@j.a.3138 Жыл бұрын

There is no law at the moment but there will be soon.

@gadogadopedes2303 Жыл бұрын

They shipped water? And for cows? That's crazy

@mauricelaurin5923 Жыл бұрын

Similar, in California where we have the most bottled water companies in the nation. Properties were bought by large corporations IE nestle with grandfather water rights that allow limitless water. We also have the largest rice fields in the nation because of this

@garywhittaker6575 Жыл бұрын

Whatever you decide, don't buy Fiji water. It comes out of a PVC pipe in the middle of the San Joaquin valley by the (not so) wonderful company.

@dclaet1135 Жыл бұрын

Let's not forget the almond growers in California who are essentially exporting our water to China and other countries.

@jacksevert3099 Жыл бұрын

@@dclaet1135 those are American Capitalists tho. Are you a Communist by chance?

@mikef2811 Жыл бұрын

There are landowners who grow food for livestock in the middle of the desert. And worst of all, they ship those foods to foreign countries to feed someone else's cows.

@Rockstar-jd8ot Жыл бұрын

Nestle is owned by Israel. Israel uses our corporation and they use our soldiers to fight their wars. It’s normal

@coleengoodell7523 Жыл бұрын

Those open water canals look to me like evaporation canals. This is especially true in Arizona where your sweat evaporates off your body on hot days. You can get dehydrated quickly there. Heck, I could hang a load of wet cloths on the line and they'd be dry by the time the next load was finished washing. When I lived there my water bills were also costly. So seeing unlimited water being given to a foreign country is infuriating. Someone got paid off to grant this lease. Corruption at its finest.

@vulcan2882 Жыл бұрын

.. I was out in Phoenix 2 years ago visting a cousin, I did a load of laundry and hung it out on her clothes line. By the time I hung up the last thing the first thing I hung up was already dry, that was in July. ( oh for the record I washed a few pairs of jeans )

@thecurrencyacademy 28 күн бұрын

Absolutely disgusted by our government for giving up precious land and resources from the USA!

@carhur3757 Жыл бұрын

Never heard about this when they were trying to pump water from the great lakes to the southwest.

@vansiegfried Жыл бұрын

I'm so happy to see this story finally being brought to the main stream. Foreign own lands growing alpha to feed their Cattle!

@user-vy5uy9fo8p Жыл бұрын

Dont be naive. This is just geopolitics. Saudi has stopped towing the line of Uncle Sam and suddenly the US starts thinking about the environment. So, unless someone crosses the state department, they can still do whatever they want.

@vivekr4690 Жыл бұрын

You are so naive. Uncle Sam has it's fingers in so many cookie jars! US companies extract so much water from nearly 200 countries and sell them Coco cola and pepsi. Not to mention trillions of dollars worth of bombs dropped on foreign countries! Please do not tell me dropping bombs worth trillions are doing good for the environment!

@veramae4098 Жыл бұрын

They just heard of this???

@sedg03 Жыл бұрын

Horses babe.. feeding sheiks's horses...

@NutjobChuck Жыл бұрын

@ . You aren’t as smart as you think you are. There is a difference between correlation and causation. And water conservation has been a gradually growing topic here in Arizona as a result of droughts, river levels dropping, and the potential depletion of aquifers. For the past several years they have begun to bring experts into schools to teach kids about water conservation in order to prevent a disastrous overuse of resources.

@myusernameisnotfound Жыл бұрын

It’s about F..n time this is getting the attention it needs. I used to haul hay from AZ to CA ports to be shipped to Saudi. I felt horrible about it. I’m from AZ this is home and the Saudi’s are taking our water. WHY in God’s green earth can this happening? Thank you for shedding light to this problem. Stupid politicians let it happen.

@nate5353 Жыл бұрын

THESE are the issues that need to the focus of representatives and politicians. Not the political theater that so many of them worry about.

@dplj4428 Жыл бұрын

Nobody ever mentions that the same water crossing the four corners is also pumped over to and through Nevada and California, and especially the local residents without access to water.

@Cjs484 Жыл бұрын

Whats the difference between this deal and the michigan deal with nestle water?

@alexm566 Жыл бұрын

The product is going overseas.

@hadtosaythis Жыл бұрын

nothing. the land was never yours or mine to begin with. but apparently it makes a difference whether some greedy arabs own all of america or some greedy americans. neither of them are looking out for you and me.

@anwarnasser3039 Жыл бұрын

@@alexm566 there’s nestle water overseas

@theoeguia3302 Жыл бұрын

American takes natural resources from other countries too. No on cares

@aikotoba99 Жыл бұрын

This isn't Saudi Arabia's fault at all. It's the fault of the people who signed the deal. I'm no fan of MBS but to blame another country for our own internal failure seems to be the underlying theme here. Just change it already and cancel the deal instead of trying to point the finger.

@jeffreyhusack2400 Жыл бұрын

Our own people selling us out

@jl333_ Жыл бұрын

Exactly. Unfortunately, money makes the world go round and due to Arizona’s own incompetence, SA saw the opportunity and pounced.

@jakelong6860 Жыл бұрын

Check out Texas they bought oil refineries 4 years ago.

@-Stop-it Жыл бұрын

Nobody is faulting the Saudis. The fault lies with the Arizona state government.

@bondrewdthelordofdawn3744 Жыл бұрын

@@-Stop-it the other comments seem disagree with you

@maximiltalmi5759 Жыл бұрын

Silly reporters…someone tell them how their oil kept our cars moving and out homes warm…gratitude people.

@guitarlessonswith4480 Жыл бұрын

Ironic that Arizon of all places, is one of the poorest water managers in the Western U.S.

@smokingjoe9864 Жыл бұрын

We used to have alfalfa in Southern Minnesota. Everything is corn now. We have to go back growing produce in the Midwest. We have 10 thousand lakes. Plus ground water. And the Great Lakes. Right now, it is an ocean of corn fields. Stretching a thousand square miles. Those corn fields is our wheat fields of the dust bowl. I remember as a boy in the mid 70s smelling the alfalfa plant in Southern Minnesota.

@serpentrae Жыл бұрын

gmo corn

@serpentrae Жыл бұрын

and only because the government subsidizes the corn

@skankhunt3624 Жыл бұрын

@@serpentrae why so fearful of GMOs?

@serpentrae Жыл бұрын

@@skankhunt3624 gmo corn is registered as a pesticide with the EPA GMO Bt corn was registered for use as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1961. Bt corn came on the market in 1996. There is Bt sweet corn (eaten directly by people) and Bt field corn (used in fuel, animal feed, other products and processed foods). the way the gmo corn kills the caterpillar a part of the plant that contains the Bt protein (not all parts of the plant necessarily contain the protein in equal concentrations) must be ingested. Within minutes, the protein binds to the gut wall and the insect stops feeding. Within hours, the gut wall breaks down and normal gut bacteria invade the body cavity. The insect dies of septicaemia as bacteria multiply in the blood. Even among Lepidoptera larvae, species differ in sensitivity to the Bt protein. so what is it doing to your gut, it can't be good

@ReflectedMiles Жыл бұрын

135,000 acres of alfalfa and mixed alfalfa just in new seedings in MN in 2022. Other types of hay production came in at 1.22 million tons for the year. We grow according to market demand, including government-incentivized demand, not philosophies and demands on the Internet--especially in the social-media space being one of the greatest lying machines ever invented because the public doesn't know or care what a credible source is.

@ceja03 Жыл бұрын

It’s the same thing that happens in Mexico, there’s many company’s in Mexico that extract Mexico’s resources and have them shipped back to the states! Mexico should put a stop to that as well because those resources never come back again!

@Jeanne90275 Жыл бұрын

Uh, are you referring to foodstuffs shipped to and sold in the US for profit or just the deadly illegal drugs and illegal aliens.

@TORNTOA Жыл бұрын

Excellent example GCL! I swear some American truly believe the world revolves around America.😂

@sociolocomtsac Жыл бұрын

As an American, I agree. Mexico should stop growing so many water-intensive crops (e.g avocados), whether it's American companies or Mexican farmers.

@dskains Жыл бұрын

stealing really? paying royalities for minerals and paying farmers for produce isnt stealing.

@uncoveredtruth2088 Жыл бұрын

@@sociolocomtsac It’s impossible to stop, the US government is putting the gun on Mexico’s head and forcefully stealing all the water. Just like how we are taking Iraq and Syria’s oil.

@SEEAFRIKA Жыл бұрын

The US is in Africa extracting minerals and shipping it back to America, while Africans are suffering, how about that?

@pruiz3564 Жыл бұрын

Thus issue goes alway back to the 40s. It is crazy this is being allowed to happen

@curiouscat3384 Жыл бұрын

Outrageous! That lease for $25 per acre? Who was the legislator/administrator who got the bribe? This should actually be a national issue - so glad it appeared here. Not sure where to start to find out if sweetheart deals like this exist in my state NC but I'm going to investigate!

@dom1abc1mbc Жыл бұрын

25 dollars per acre is actually expensive for a lease, you could outright buy land with that price

@curiouscat3384 Жыл бұрын

@@dom1abc1mbc well that's interesting! In North Carolina, agricultural land goes for $12,000 and up per acre. But of course we don't have the wide open dry spaces like Arizona. Very little land left here between cities and sub-rural subdivisions.

@lissaglasgow5492 Жыл бұрын

Agree

@j.a.3138 Жыл бұрын

@@dom1abc1mbc Maybe back then. $25 per acre is dirt cheap in today's world.

@rachelgates509 Жыл бұрын

They didn’t say how long the leases were for though! I wanna know THAT!

@sullythepankake9663 Жыл бұрын

Did you not read the paper? Its valid until 2031

@BrielViens Жыл бұрын

Here our country is debating and highlighting issues that we will all forget about within a few years because they are small and unimportant. Yet issues like these very few even know of. Other countries should not own/lease valuable land assets in our country. Period.

@onebylandtwoifbysearunifby5475 Жыл бұрын

*Her taka-away was "Gotta have faith"!?* What a frikin' airhead. We need _REAL_ journalists back.

@ScottArmas107 Жыл бұрын

I hauled teff seed off that ranch, it’s also on the California side by Blythe. They were talking about this last year already. Pretty ridiculous when American ranchers are going broke.

@blank1778 Жыл бұрын

They don’t care about Americans only money. This government is a joke

@kylegoldston Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a prime case for actual regulations.

@iNdUsTrIaLrOcKeR4U Жыл бұрын

Is it Arizona or New Mexico that is having a water shortage with residential properties in the northern part of the state?

@onebylandtwoifbysearunifby5475 Жыл бұрын

Essentially exporting *UNLIMITED* water to the Saudi Prince for $25. _SOMEONE_ got a BIG kickback 💰.

@mcampos60 Жыл бұрын

I don’t know what our previous Attorney General was doing while in office, too busy worrying about revoking women’s reproductive rights. He should have been focusing on this!

@jasonlarsen4945 Жыл бұрын

He was probably vacationing with Saudi Money.

@cynthiarowley719 Жыл бұрын

I guess it's legal. Nestle does this, too.

@amandahealey2216 Жыл бұрын

To be fair, people aren't happy about that either

@waleed8530 Жыл бұрын

@@amandahealey2216 feelings don't matter, its business after all, and yanks love money.

@danieluffner3298 Жыл бұрын

@@waleed8530HUMANS love money. Greed existed long before the term "yanks" was coined.

@junglemom1263 Жыл бұрын

Very good interview. Well scripted, and great closing statement! We're all beyond hope at this point. If this was the only insane contract a government agency had signed, then we'd be in pretty good shape, sadly this type of thing is commonplace.

@DougGrinbergs 12 күн бұрын

3:30 crazy irony: Arizona leasing 6000 acres of land to Fondamonte for $25/acre!😡

@jakebrakebill Жыл бұрын

Closing the barn door after the animals are out ???

@fredreinke4150 Жыл бұрын

If in this day and age, Arizona has "no regulations on how much water can be pumped out of the ground " they are responsible also. Poor resource management.

@jbeyond7402 Жыл бұрын

While they gouge us with oil prices we give them our water for 25/acre, might as well be free. That scale is not balanced.

@christaylor4477 Жыл бұрын

This is unbelievable!

@romemedina4712 Жыл бұрын

With how my uncle is having issues on his farms it's something I'm very happy to hear actions can be taken.

@hunterchannel488 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely insane that our own government would allow this to happen, the government does not prioritize American people anymore. We absolutely need to take back our country.

@bluray4687 Жыл бұрын

I live in Arizona, and i think they should look into the leases and see if there were any kickbacks. If so, those individuals should be prosecuted

@goldylocker 10 ай бұрын

Is it possible to dig a lot of wells all along the farms and pump the water out?

@michellelester243 Жыл бұрын

This is happening in Eastern Washington State as well, draining the Yakima River Valley.

@wallacegrommet9343 Жыл бұрын

When a state bans agricultural water usage monitoring, this is what happens.

@goldylocker 10 ай бұрын

For how many years are these leases for?

@user-oo6ru5sq8z 8 ай бұрын

I think people generally miss the main sustainability issue here. Foreign companies aren't necessarily the problem, it's the irrigation required for meat and dairy products that use up the vast majority of the CRB's water. Fondomonte should absolutely not be allowed to set up shop in Arizona, but that doesn't mean it's okay for us to exploit it either.

@sierbehashti3166 Жыл бұрын

Foreign companies should not be able to own US farmland and waste our resources. There needs to be better water regulation and restriction for any foreign company in the area, or just ban foreign companies from farming on US land all together

@Omer1996E.C Жыл бұрын

Then the us should be banned from investing abroad. Let US companies go back to the US, and you'll suddenly hear a wave of bankruptcies. The problem is with regulation, not with being foreigner or not

@craigb8228 Жыл бұрын

Most US Natural Resources are owned by foreign countries like Russia and China.

@danoalex2977 Жыл бұрын

If it wasn’t for black gold, the Middle East would be eating sand

@shyrafrancisco2248 Жыл бұрын

And Saudi Arabia should keep all of their oil for domestic use instead of selling it to other countries!

@danoalex2977 Жыл бұрын

@@shyrafrancisco2248 if they didn’t sell it, they would have nothing.Oil is only valuable if it can be used, westerners developed cars, plastics etc to make it valuable.

@carlsanders7919 Жыл бұрын

Same thing with mining. Water usage not regulated. And most minerals shipped over seas and most mining companies foreign owned.

@deepchange2973 10 ай бұрын

God bless Saudi Arabia

@Itsyoutube952 Жыл бұрын

Lets get a closer look at the water consumption of golf courses in Arizona as well.

@crawkn Жыл бұрын

To couch this as a problem of Saudi Arabia or any foreign country causing environmental harm on U.S. soil is to miss the forest for one tree. The problem is that many farmers (not just this one company) are using absurd amounts of water, both from the water table and rivers, to grow water-intensive crops in the desert. It's utter foolishness, and scapegoating isn't going to solve it.

@tom4150 Жыл бұрын

Exactly. It's gone one for decades and is common practice in California. They can even drill at an angle to steal underground water.

@shyrafrancisco2248 Жыл бұрын

The problem is too many humans competing for a limited resource.

@crawkn Жыл бұрын

@@shyrafrancisco2248 There's enough water for humans, if they aren't wasteful, but not enough for high-water-use crops, which is wasteful by nature and uses far more water than humans do. It wouldn't be happening if the water were priced at its true value. I suspect corruption is involved.

@shyrafrancisco2248 Жыл бұрын

@@crawkn There is enough water for humans if we eliminate most of the wild animals, a feat which has been largely accomplished. Humans need to be culled so that all the other animals can return to their natural population levels.

@fourbirdstos Жыл бұрын

It would be interesting to know who acted in behalf of the state of Arizona to set this up.

@greedo2660 Жыл бұрын

Jared Kushner was probably involved.

@Synthwave89 Жыл бұрын

It's quite convenient they didn't give out any names. Someone made a killing with Saudi money, mark my words.

@samertallauze729 9 ай бұрын

Heartbreaking 💔

@User-ci3su Жыл бұрын

Similar thing comes to mind in how the US invades the middle east for oil but when saudi arabia sets up a LEGAL company in the US it's an issue. LOL. Hypocritical

@nyspice1966 Жыл бұрын

We need all our water to feed our own cities!!

@V8V88 Жыл бұрын

But we need this water to feed our cows. No offence, but our cows are more important.

@magesalmanac6424 Жыл бұрын

What… cows aren’t more important than humans.

@shyrafrancisco2248 Жыл бұрын

We need to reduce human overpopulation before they destroy the planet.

@johnwayne3904 Жыл бұрын

Things like this make me more angry than anything else I can think of right now. What these vultures are doing is VERY inconsiderate and SO disrespectful to all the other land owners in the area. 😡

@scornedirl4385 Жыл бұрын

your savior "POLITICS" sold us out huh

@thedeadman3848 Жыл бұрын

Question is: What are our politicians going to do about it?

@jesusrincon6659 Жыл бұрын

the same happened in mexico with the groundwatwer use to make craft beer and are american companys and the pay only $995 dollar a year ..

@kristinamikkelsoncasanova6287 Жыл бұрын

I hope they stop them. I am a Arizonan and water is becoming very difficult to find.

@CatJuarez Жыл бұрын

WOW when I lived in AZ years ago ..locals were against California using their water. Now this😮

@christopherch7307 Жыл бұрын

End that excessive water use

@brandongaines1731 Жыл бұрын

My understanding of how cows work is limited (I only have direct experience with beef cattle), but my understanding is that cows do best when fed grass and hay, which is their natural diet, anyway; to me, the notion of feeding cows alfalfa is somewhat ridiculous, because it's just not a part of their natural diet. My mom's dad and his dad raised beef cattle in Missouri - on just grass, hay, and water - decades before grass-fed beef was cool; I like to think of them as almost being hipsters in the ranching community lol.