Get a short URL
When we hear about Bill Gates, we invariably think about Microsoft and philanthropy, but the fourth richest man in the world is very interested in agriculture. In recent years, his investment firm Cascade has been buying land as if his life depended on it.
Bill Gates is the largest landowner in the United States. According to a Land Report, the Microsoft co-founder now owns an incredible 242,000 acres in 18 states. This shopping spree left many people wondering what Gates’ goal would be, because he never talked about his love of growing crops and the “pleasant” smell of fresh manure.
According New York Post, Gates’ interest in agricultural land is motivated by his desire to address the issue of climate change and also to help the poorest nations, where people are 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 nonprofit organization that helps farmers around the world “to adopt best practices now, so that we can all have a healthier future for generations to come “.
Previous reports have suggested that agriculture, in particular beef production, contributes to CO2 emissions, which retains the radiated heat from the sun and, consequently, leads to climate change.
Gates said earlier that without innovation the world will not be able to deal with climate change, which many scientists say will result in extreme temperatures, natural disasters and the collapse of ecosystems.
For this, Gates participates in environmental projects and invests in several companies. One is Impossible Foods, which produces beef substitutes.
Bruce Sherrick, professor of agricultural economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who also serves on the board of Leading Harvest, says that farms are not only part of the problem of climate change, but can also become a solution.
Sherrick believes that the Microsoft co-founder will make a big difference if he can show that agriculture can be profitable and sustainable.