Did you know that Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates is the largest private farmland owner in the US? Recently, NBC News reported that Bill Gates along with his estranged wife Melinda Gates had acquired more than 269,000 acres of farm in the United States in the past 10 years.
As per the report, the Gates have their own land in at least 18 American states.
In Washington, the duo owns more than 14,000 acres of farmland that includes potato fields so massive that they are visible from space and some of which are processed into french fries for McDonald's. Apart from potatoes, carrots and onions are also grown in large quantities for grocery stores in his farm.
The Gates couple is currently in the process of getting a divorce. In this, their property will also be divided.
As per the Land report and NBC report, their land holdings range from 70,000 acres in north Louisiana, where their farmland grows soybeans, corn, cotton and rice, to 20,000 acres in Nebraska, where farmers grow soybeans. Additionally, they have 6000 acres in Georgia.
It is unclear why Gates has invested so heavily in farmland.
Once Gates was asked about his farmland purchases on Reddit. To which he replied, "My investment group chose to do this. It is not connected to climate. The agriculture sector is important. With more productive seeds we can avoid deforestation and help Africa deal with the climate difficulty they already face. It is unclear how cheap biofuels can be but if they are cheap it can solve the aviation and truck emissions."
Critics of Bill Gates argue that he holds too much power over food and agriculture, and is interested in enriching himself rather than helping the planet.
There are concerns that the purchase of land by corporations and billionaires accelerate the industrialisation of agriculture, depriving smallholders and family farmers of the chance to make a living from land that they may have longstanding connections to.
On the personal front, Bill and Melinda Gates on May 4 announced their separation after remaining married for 27 years.
