Georgia Voters to Decide on Amendment 1 to Expand CUVA Limit

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Georgia could lose 800,000 acres of farmland by 2040 if current development trends continue. To combat this, Georgia voters will decide on Amendment 1 this November, a constitutional change that would double the acreage limit for the state’s Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) program from 2,000 to 4,000 acres.

The stakes are high for rural landowners. As the state grows, the land underneath family farms is becoming more valuable to developers. For many, this creates a financial paradox: the more valuable their land becomes for a potential warehouse or subdivision, the higher their property taxes climb, even if the farm’s actual income remains flat. Amendment 1 aims to decouple a farm’s tax burden from its development potential.

Georgia voters to decide three ballot amendments during early voting

The Mechanics of CUVA Tax Relief

The Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) program allows qualifying agricultural land to be taxed based on its current use for farming rather than its potential value for development. Essentially, a family is taxed on what the land produces today, not what a developer might pay for it tomorrow. In exchange for this tax break, the owner must commit the land to agriculture, timber, or another qualifying conservation use for 10 years.

While the program has existed for more than three decades, it has operated under a 2,000-acre cap. Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas), who serves as Senate Majority Leader, argues that this limit is an outdated relic that doesn’t reflect the modern reality of farming. Rising equipment costs and tighter profit margins mean that many family-run operations now require more than 2,000 acres just to remain solvent.

A family farm is not necessarily a small farm, and that matters. Depending on the crops they produce, some family farms need more acreage simply to generate enough income to stay in business.

Amendment 1 Aims to Protect Food Supply Stability

The debate over Amendment 1 isn’t just about tax breaks for landowners; it’s about the stability of the food supply. By making it financially viable for larger family farms to keep their land in production, the state aims to strengthen the domestic agricultural supply chain. When farmland is converted into a warehouse or a housing development, the change is almost always permanent.

This transition impacts more than just the farmers. A shrinking agricultural base can weaken rural economies and increase reliance on imported food, which Anavitarte frames as a matter of economic resilience and national security. The goal is to ensure that the next generation of Georgians has the same opportunity to build a life on the land as previous generations did.

Addressing the Development Conflict

There is a tension between the need for new industry and the desire to preserve a rural legacy.

However, proponents of the amendment clarify that this is not a land-acquisition program or a restriction on the right to develop. It does not authorize government seizures. Instead, it provides a tax incentive for those who choose to keep their land in productive agricultural use. The argument is that growth and preservation are not mutually exclusive; Georgia can welcome new industries without pricing out the families who sustain its food supply.

The Path to the Ballot

Amendment 1 originated as House Bill 90 during the 2025 Legislative Session. The shift to a 4,000-acre limit represents a significant adjustment to the state’s approach to land conservation, acknowledging that the scale of agriculture has evolved since the original policy was approved more than thirty years ago.

The true cost of the projected loss of nearly one million acres of farmland isn’t found in a ledger. It is found in the erasure of family history and the permanent loss of the rural landscapes that helped build the Georgia economy. Whether the voters choose to expand this protection will determine if the state’s agricultural legacy survives the pressure of rapid urbanization.

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