GRAIN — How does the Gates Foundation spend its money to feed the world?
“Listening to farmers and addressing their specific needs. We talk to farmers about the crops they want to grow and eat, as well as the unique challenges they face. We partner with organizations that understand and are equipped to address these challenges, and we invest in research to identify relevant and affordable solutions that farmers want and will use.”
First guiding principle of the Gates Foundation's work on agriculture.1
At some point in June this year, the total amount given as grants to
food and agriculture projects by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
surpassed the US$3 billion mark. It marked quite a milestone. From
nowhere on the agricultural scene less than a decade ago, the Gates
Foundation has emerged as one of the world's major donors to
agricultural research and development.
Bill Gates at Cornell University, trying to cross-pollinate wheat. (Photo: Cornell University)
