By: Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas)
Georgia is growing, but that growth comes with a cost.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture estimates our state could lose 800,000 acres of farmland by 2040. Development pressure is reaching farther into rural Georgia, and once a farm becomes a subdivision, warehouse, or other commercial development, it rarely reverts.
That is why Amendment 1 to the Georgia Constitution deserves Georgians’ attention this November.
At the heart of Amendment 1 is the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) program. The concept is straightforward: qualifying agricultural land is taxed based on its use for farming rather than its potential value for development. A family’s farmland is assessed for what it produces today, not what a developer might be willing to pay for it tomorrow.
In return, the land must remain in agriculture, timber or another qualifying conservation use for 10 years.
Georgia voters first approved that policy more than three decades ago. But the program still limits participating landowners to 2,000 acres. Amendment 1 would increase that limit to 4,000 acres.
A family farm is not necessarily a small farm, and that matters.
Agriculture has changed considerably since the 2,000-acre limit was established. Equipment and operating costs have climbed, while profit margins remain tight. Depending on the crops they produce, some family farms need more acreage simply to generate enough income to stay in business.
This amendment means more than just preserving a way of life in our state. Keeping more of our food supply grown and produced here in Georgia strengthens the security of our food system. A reliable domestic food supply and a strong Georgia-grown agricultural supply chain are matters of economic resilience and national security.
Meanwhile, the land underneath those farms is becoming more valuable as Georgia grows.
For Georgia families who have worked the same land for generations, rising property values can create an impossible choice. They must shoulder a growing tax burden or consider selling land they never intended to give up.
Amendment 1 does not restrict property development, authorize government land seizures or establish another state land-acquisition program. Instead, it builds on existing tax relief to help qualifying farm and timber families keep their land in productive use without being priced out of their own property.
We cannot afford to lose the farms and timberlands that have helped build our economy and sustain our rural communities, but this conversation goes far beyond a single tax provision.
Georgia is on track to lose nearly one million acres of farmland in just over a decade. Growth is inevitable, and protecting every acre from development is neither practical nor necessary. Progress should not come at the expense of the families who have spent generations working the land and contributing to our state’s success.
We can welcome new industries and build thriving communities without pushing Georgia’s farming families out of the picture. Economic growth and agricultural preservation are not competing priorities.
Ultimately, Amendment 1 aims to protect private property rights, preserve Georgia’s agricultural legacy, and make sure the next generation has the same opportunity to build a life on the land as those who came before them. The true cost of losing Georgia’s farmland isn’t measured in acres or dollars. It’s measured in the generations of hard work, family history and opportunity we can never get back.
Amendment 1 was originally created through House Bill 90 during the 2025 Legislative Session. You can find more information about HB 90 here.
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Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Senate Majority Leader. He represents the 31st Senate District, which includes Polk County and a portion of Paulding County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0085 or by email at Jason.Anavitarte@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.