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When you hear about Bill Gates you invariably think of Microsoft and philanthropy and yet the fourth richest man in the world is very attached to agriculture. For the past few years, his investment company Cascade has been buying land as if his life depended on it.
Bill Gates is the largest owner of farmland in the United States. According to a land report, the Microsoft co-founder now owns a whopping 242,000 acres in 18 states. This buying frenzy has left many wondering what the endgame is for Gates because he never spoke of his love for growing crops and the “nice” smell of fresh manure.
According to New York Post, Gates’ interest in farmland is driven by his desire to tackle the problem of climate change and help poorer countries, where people go hungry.
The tabloid writes that the Gates Farmland Empire is run by Cottonwood Ag Management, which in turn is a member of Leading Harvest, a non-profit organization that helps farmers around the world “adopt better practices now, so that we can all develop a healthier future. for generations to come ”.
Reports previously suggested that agriculture, especially beef production, contributes to CO2 emissions that trap heat radiated from the sun and therefore lead to climate change.
Gates said earlier that without innovation the world would not be able to cope with climate change, which many scientists say will lead to extreme temperatures, natural disasters and the collapse of ecosystems.
To this end, Gates participates in environmental projects and invests in various companies. One of them is Impossible Foods which produces beef substitutes.
Bruce Sherrick, professor of agricultural economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who also sits on the board of directors of Leading Harvest, says farms are not only part of the climate change problem, but can also become a solution.
Sherrick believes the Microsoft co-founder will make a big difference if he can show that farming can be both profitable and sustainable.
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