A Saudi Arabian company banned from growing a water-hungry crop in its own country is instead using American resources during one of the worst droughts in centuries. 

Fondomonte Farms is owned by one of Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy companies and has been growing water-intensive alfalfa in Arizona at a time when the state supply is low. 

Farming alfalfa has been illegal in the mostly desert country of Saudi Arabia since 2016 because of how much water it takes to produce the crop according to The Guardian. 

But the alfalfa isn’t used for consumption by humans. Instead, the crop is farmed to provide feed for Saudi Arabian cows owned by Fondomonte’s parent company, Almarai.

The situation has slowly come to a head in Arizona as drought conditions have pushed local farms to the brink, forcing state officials to consider a ban on foreign-owned farms. 

(With inputs from agencies)