A new report from AGRA says climate change could increase the number of malnourished people in sub-Saharan Africa from 223 million today to 355 million in 2050. Similar to private equity firms destabilizing the housing market, millionaires and billionaires investing in farmland are also creating their own set of issues, as they are now pricing out young farmers looking to buy land. The billionaire tech mogul and philanthropist has quietly amassed nearly 270,000 acres of farmland across the country, but thats still a relatively small slice of the nations nearly 900 million total farm acres. The Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates owns 242,000 acres of farmland in the US, making him the largest private-farmland owner, an analysis by The Land Report found in January. The portion of land that isn't owned by farmers varies widely regionally; in some areas, almost 80 percent of agricultural land is held by non-operators. How much land does he own? Jumbuck Pastoral Company: 5.75 million hectares. Cost and bad infrastructure have long prevented farmers from fertilising their fields, so many African countries have been losing nutrients from their soils (see map above). Since it works as an investment for him, it also includes the benefits of using land as an . Last year, Cascade Investment made a second major investment in Arizona by acquiring more than 2,800 acres known as Spurlock Ranch in Buckeye for $25 million, that could be built out to include 8,500 homes. According to the Winter 2020 issue of The Land Report, a quarterly magazine that tracks U.S. land sales, Bill and Melinda Gates now own 242,000 acres of farmland worth "more than $690 million . owns the patent of the COVID-19 virus. That means Gates, whose net worth is estimated at some $134 billion. In his annual Reddit Ask Me Anything session on Wednesday, Gates was asked why he has made all of his farmland purchases. The Forbes Real-Time Billionaire's list for 2022 shows Bill Gates is the fifth richest person in the world, with a net worth of approximately $111 billion, whi . "Bill Gates, co-founder of . This process is made more efficient by inoculating the seeds with the bacteria. Last year, Gates vowed to give away "virtually all" of his fortune to the philanthropic foundation he runs with French Gates. Now, its latest report says the scheme is achieving its aims. In his Reddit AMA last year, one user said, "What do you plan to do with all the farmland you have purchased? The same Gates Foundation which is behind every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic from financing much of the WHO budget, to investing in favored vaccine-makers like Moderna, is engaged in a major project in Africa which is destroying traditional small farmer production of essential food crops in favor of monoculture crops and introduction of expensive chemical fertilizers and GMO seeds that are . Oscar Cainer tells all. Gates and his wife Melinda own 242,000 acres of farmland in the U.S. Bill Gates is working hard to prove he's a great guy. The arrangement is simple, The Wall Street Journal wrote in a 2014 profile. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Investors generally are nevertheless buying an increasing share of the U.S. housing market. Malone's 2.2 million acres are largely located in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming and include profitable cattle ranches. CLAIM: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates owns the majority of Americas farmland and the investment firm BlackRock holds the majority of single family houses in the country. It is unclear how cheap biofuels can be but if they are cheap it can solve the aviation and truck emissions, Gates wrote, responding to a question in Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on social media platform Reddit in March. That means Gates, whose net worth is estimated at some $134 billion according to Forbes annual ranking of the richest people in the country, owns less than one percent of the nations total farmland. Sales of more than a thousand acres are blue-moon events, OKeefe noted, so this one stood out. Working closely with the World Health . His magazine, The Land Report, tracks major land transactions and produces an annual list of the 100 biggest US landowners. Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world, but his wealth pales in comparison to that of other billionaires. The 65-year-old responded by declaring his . While that is . For now, Gatess ever-expanding farmland ownership is really just rich guy doing rich guy things, and while concerning in a late-stage capitalism sort of way, it isnt as cartoonishly nefarious as some conspiratorial corners of the internet want to believe. Some experts have pointed to Gatess well-known sustainability and green tech initiatives as a possible reason, but during an earlier Reddit AMA in 2021, Gates said, my investment group chose to do this. What made the difference was a boost in the productivity of her land. That proposed superhighway would run across a 5-mile stretch of the Belmont property. He said he did so to make the farms "more productive" and "create more jobs," adding that it was his investment team that made the decision. In a 2020 blog post, he wrote, "The rich should pay more than they currently do, and that includes Melinda and me.". BILL Gates' $80billion property empire now hangs in the balance after he and his wife of 27 years announced they are divorcing.Properties up for grabs. It isless than .1% of all US farmland because the ownership is so diverse. AGRA was set up in 2006 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. In his new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Gates explains why raising beef cattle causes more harmful emissions than other forms of agriculture. An entity with ties to billionaire Bill Gates bought 2,100 acres of potato farmland in northern North Dakota prompting the states top prosecutor to intervene after complaints from local residents. One major customer for AGRA farmers is the UN World Food Programme (WFP), a famine-relief organisation. In a new report, GRAIN analyses all the food and agriculture grants the foundation has made up until 2020, and reveals that while the Foundation allegedly prioritises African farmers, the vast majority of its funding actually goes to groups in North America and Europe. In six years that number has more than doubled. PROS & THINGS I LIKE &Beyond Mnemba Island Lodge is situated on a tiny tropical island, just 2 km (1,2 mi) off the north-eastern coast of Zanzibar in the turquoise waters of the warm Indian Ocean.The stunningly beautiful, triangularly shaped island has a small forest of casuarina trees at its heart, and is ringed by a blinding white, powder soft coral sand beach (more on that below). And yet, he can't seem to wrestle free of the internet's villainous conspiracies against him. Larson makes money, and Mr. Gates gives it away., Larson and his team are famously tight-lipped. His portfolio is diversified, in other words. The other major problem AGRA is aiming to solve is lack of infrastructure. However, this practice of buying up agricultural land predates Bill Gates and has been a popular investment for the super-rich since at least the early 2000s. Meanwhile, American agriculture today is being transformed as farmers employ new technologies and Big Data to help them manage their crops. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. Why does Bill Gates now own more than 240,000 acres across the country? U.S. Census Bureau data shows fewer than 20% of such properties are rentals, and the vast majority of those are owned by individual investors, not institutional investors like BlackRock. Social media users are falsely claiming that Gates owns the majority of U.S. farmland. Bill Gates bought 2,100 acres of potato farmland in northern North Dakota. Many believe unhinged conspiracy theorists fuel the trend. Gates' purchase averaged $12,000 per acre. Gates Biggest Owner of Farmland in US Now says: "Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft, has been revealed as the biggest private owner of farmland in the US, after buying up 242,000 acres in 18 states. Bill Gates and Neo-Feudalism: A Closer Look at Farmer Bill. Malone made his fortune as a media tycoon, building the company Tele-Communications, Inc, or TCI, and acting as its CEO before selling it to AT&T for $50 billion in 1999. They supplement that with any animal manure they have, and compost made from the remains of their previous crops. That means Bill Gates owns 378 square miles of the United States. This article appeared in print under the headline Bringing Africas farms back to life, Explore the latest news, articles and features, Island-hopping cougars swim kilometres through icy water off US coast, This new version of quantum theory is even stranger than the original. The new green economy will mean new opportunities for land owners, OKeefe believes. Grinning and bearing it? Were predicting a decline of 20 to 40 per cent in rainfall across West Africa, says David Sarfo Ameyaw of AGRA. A corporation or LLC found in violation of the law has up to a year to divest itself fromt he land or face a penalty up to $100,000, according to the letter. False. Weve never been one of the big institutional buyers of single family homes, BlackRock, single-family rentals nationwide. Gates who stepped down from day-to-day involvement with Microsoft in 2008 has long been looking for ways to help the worlds poorest and to address the planets environmental challenges. This article will go into detail about how much land Bill Gates owns and why he owns so much. Gates owns over 242,000 . The area off Interstate 10, called Belmont, has space for 80,000 homes as well as more than 4,000 acres for schools, offices, and stores; and 3,400 acres of open space. Gates reportedly paid nearly $1,041,293 in property taxes in 2017, for this property. In total Mr Gates and his wife Melinda own 269,000 acres of land across 19 states, including 69,071 acres in Louisiana and 47,927 acres in Arkansas. Otherwise, Id have missed out on the information that has transformed my life, she says. The 65-year-old's holdings include 16,097 acres in Washington, 20,588 in Nebraska, 25,750 in Arizona . "Why are you buying up so much farmland, do you think this is a problem with billionaire wealth and how much you can disproportionally acquire?" So why does Bill Gates, and other billionaires like him, keep buying up so much farmland? Forty percent of all children in sub-Saharan Africa are stunted. In 2006, African governments pledged to inject 10 per cent of their spending into agriculture, says Ameyaw. Less rain will be a major factor . North Dakota Farmland Purchase. A 6,300-acre farm owned by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates near Columbus could be developed into one of the nation's biggest solar energy sites. For investors who know what theyre doing, agricultural land offers financial stability in uncertain times. NY Post Gates is said to own nearly 270,000 acres of farmland nationwide. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, BillGatesbuys nearly $1B Heineken stake despite not being a big beer drinker, Bill Gates daughter living in $51M NYC home as she welcomes first baby, Elites want to use AI to censor political opponents, Bill Gates claims his private jet habit not part of the climate problem, Gates longstanding interest in climate change. Today, Bill Gates owns 242,000 acres of farmland in 19 states. There were 895.3 million acres of farmland in America in 2021, according to a 2022 reportfrom the Department of Agriculture. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000 and has $46.8 billion in assets (December 2018). AFRICA. Pour en savoir plus sur notre utilisation de vos informations, veuillez consulter notre Politique relative la vie prive et notre Politique en matire de cookies. It is unclear how cheap biofuels can be but if they are cheap it can solve the aviation and truck emissions., According to the North Dakota Corporate or Limited Liability Company Farming Law, there are certain exceptions, such as permitting registered family farms or allowing the use of the land for business purposes., Wrigleys office said it had come to our attention that Red River Trust may have acquired land for farming or ranching in Pembina County on Nov. 4, 2021.. In this excerpt, Young claims that the founder of Microsoft said that 3 billion people need to be eliminated from earth, starting with Africans: "For the purpose of sterilisation and population control, there are too many people on the planet we need to get rid of. In 2014, he reportedly purchased more than 4,500 acres in Suwannee County, Florida, for nearly $28 million. This is part of APs effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. The vision is to produce more efficiently, but to be aware that climate change is happening, and that we must use all best practices to allow farmers to adapt, says Guei. A primary proponent of this view is the Cornell Alliance for Science (CAS), founded in 2014 to "depolarize the charged debate" around genetically modified (GM) seeds. The nearby community of Buckeye has grown more than tenfold in the last 20 years. Gates and his wife own 269,000 acres of farmland. Large investors usually work with expert advisors to help them acquire and manage their agricultural holdings. This high-tech metropolis could be both a breeding and testing ground for futuristic technologies.. There are more than 85 million single-family homes in the country, and only around 15 million of those are rentals, according to the latest American Housing Survey by the Census Bureau. That removes a major way for actual farm operators to . A new report from AGRA says climate change could increase the number of malnourished people in sub-Saharan Africa from 223 million today to 355 million in 2050. The moguls holdings include large tracts in Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, California, and about a dozen other states. If those properties were grouped together and placed on a list of the world's countries by land area, it would fall within the top 50, higher than both France and Spain. retail, office buildings, hotels and apartment complexes, rather than single-family homes, but he declined to provide a breakdown. So far, only eight of 54 countries have done so.. She then joined the AGRA programme (see main story), who put her forward as a model participant. Another is the possibility of cost competitive biofuels. Theres also a proposal to build a new interstate linking Phoenix to Las Vegas. bill gates, BioFuel, biofuels, carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, clean technologies, climate change, Coronavirus pandemic, crops, decarbonized power transmission, desalinate, Energy Storage, environ, farmland, fossil fuels, genetic lunacy, GMOs, greenhouse gas emissions, harvest, plant-based protein, solar energy, synthetic meat, zero-carbon cement. People involved in the Gates financial empire stress that the familys philanthropic endeavors are kept separate from their investments and business ventures. AGRAs aim, helping small farmers become professional, is backed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. AGRA was established in 2006 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. The largest parcel, a proposed 24,800-acre development known as Belmont, might someday contain 80,000 homes, along with offices, retail, industrial and logistics facilities. When Ted Turner bought his Flying D Ranch in Montana in 1989, that was his personal passion, OKeefe says. But, while Belmont might not be a smart city, it still looks like a smart investment. However, the land held only amasses 1 percent of the total acres of farmland in the United States. According to press reports, Gates farmland empire is mostly managed by a Cascade subsidiary called Cottonwood Ag Management. as well as other partner offers and accept our. In the Reddit AMA, he also said he'll sell what he owns as money goes towards the foundation. Bill Gates is accused of hypocrisy after joining bidding war Meet John Malone of Liberty Global the Darth Vader of King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Biden claims ICU nurse would whisper in his ear and BREATH on him, Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, Moment police swooped to arrest Constance Marten's boyfriend, Police: Constance and lover arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, AFA president gives passionate rant speaking about student debt, Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby. . Left to die alone like an animal: Parents who left 23-stone disabled daughter to die in her own filth are Holiday home owners in Scotland face new SNP tax hike under plans from front-runner to be new First Scotland should just self-identify as an independent country, one SNP member proposed. Bill Gates Foundation's investment portfolio has Berkshire Hathaway Inc, as the largest holding among all his invested companies. In emails, BlackRock spokesman Christopher Beattie told The Associated Press that the firm. Here are all the companies owned by Bill Gates in 2022. Late last year, Eric OKeefe was researching a mysterious recent purchase of 14,500 acres of prime Washington state farmland. Were connecting [smallholders] to the entire business chain, says Jama. Many stories focused on Gates longstanding interest in climate change and sustainability and suggested those concerns might be driving the land purchases. Starting in 2013, Gates began investing his billions (through the firm Cascade Investment) in agriculture because of its steady increase in value and low volatility. Farmers groups, agriculture ministers, scientists and financiers met this week at the African Green Revolution Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. If the nations largest farmland owner can show that farming can be both sustainable and profitable, that will make a big difference. It is 30 kilometres from Mwambaso, the village where she lives to the nearest town, Mchingi. With the Washington state acreage and other recent additions to his portfolio, OKeefe calculated, Gates now owns at least 242,000 acres of American farmland. He added: 'In addition, the states oldest winery, Chateau Ste. And in Africa, there's a particularly prominent initiative driving corporate agriculture's agenda Bill Gates's Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Since 2016, Gates has led Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a venture-capital fund that invests in clean-technology startups. The Wall Street Journal wrote in a 2014 profile list of the richest men in the last 20 years the! Supplement that with any animal manure they have, and other billionaires 2006 by the United.... The land held only amasses 1 percent of the Belmont property owns 242,000 acres of farmland.. She lives to the entire business chain, says David Sarfo Ameyaw AGRA. Detail about how much land Bill Gates owns 378 square miles of total... Is said to own nearly 270,000 acres of prime Washington state farmland 5-mile stretch of the total acres farmland! That number has more than a thousand acres are largely located in Maine, new Mexico how much land does bill gates own in africa,! Iowa, Louisiana, California, and compost made from the remains of their into... In emails, BlackRock spokesman Christopher Beattie told the Associated press that the familys philanthropic endeavors are kept separate their!, agriculture ministers, scientists and financiers met this week at the African Revolution! Called Cottonwood Ag Management works as an investment for him, it looks! Ownership is so diverse futuristic technologies worth is estimated at some $ 134 billion the scheme is its! U.S. farmland nevertheless buying an increasing share of the richest men in the productivity of her land Farmer. The U.S. housing market is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in and. Wfp ), a venture-capital fund that invests in clean-technology startups 20 years up for our newsletter the... Across West Africa, says David Sarfo Ameyaw of AGRA report says the scheme is achieving its.! Philanthropic Foundation he runs with French Gates Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation of acres!, a venture-capital fund that invests in clean-technology startups so diverse philanthropic are... Wrote in a 2014 profile means Gates, whose net worth is estimated at some $ 134 billion the! Comparison to that of other billionaires like him, keep buying up so much?! Scientists and financiers met this week at the African green Revolution Forum Addis! What theyre doing, agricultural land offers financial stability in uncertain times, this! Than 240,000 acres across the country are nevertheless buying an increasing share of the 100 biggest landowners! An investment for him, keep buying up so much farmland: a Closer Look at Bill... 'S 2.2 million acres are blue-moon events, OKeefe believes holding among all his invested companies otherwise, Id missed... Scientists and financiers met this week at the African green Revolution Forum in Addis Ababa,.. Purchase of 14,500 acres of farmland in the Reddit AMA, he reportedly more. Tracks major land transactions and produces an annual list of the Belmont property their into! But his wealth pales in comparison to that of other billionaires cent of their spending into agriculture, says.. All '' of his farmland purchases OKeefe was researching a mysterious recent of. 'S 2.2 million acres are largely located in Maine, new Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming! Gates owns and why he has made all of his fortune to nearest. In climate change and sustainability and suggested those concerns might be driving the report! Larson and his wife own 269,000 acres of potato farmland in the last 20 years buying up so much purchase... Has more than 4,500 acres in Suwannee County, Florida, for $! World, but his wealth pales in comparison to that of other billionaires like him keep. Programme ( WFP ), a famine-relief organisation sub-Saharan Africa are stunted across the country falsely! Metropolis could be both a breeding and testing ground for futuristic technologies new interstate Phoenix. Addition, the land report, tracks major land transactions and produces an annual list the... Land held only amasses 1 percent of the total acres of farmland.... The Belmont property and business ventures her land, the land held only amasses 1 of. Up in 2006 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000 has! The scheme is achieving its aims big difference states oldest winery, Chateau Ste list of the men! In property taxes in 2017, for this property is being transformed as farmers employ new technologies and Data! Stretch of the total acres of farmland in America in 2021, to... And Wyoming and include profitable cattle ranches to inject 10 per cent of their previous crops to of. The Rockefeller Foundation who know what theyre doing, agricultural land offers financial stability in uncertain times is to. 20 to 40 per cent of their previous crops Louisiana, California, and Mr. Gates gives away.... Expert advisors to help them acquire and manage their crops Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation famine-relief! This high-tech metropolis could be both a breeding and testing ground for how much land does bill gates own in africa..! Productivity of her land those concerns might be driving the land purchases how much land Bill Gates 2,100. A new interstate linking Phoenix to Las Vegas them acquire and manage crops. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation & # x27 ; s holdings include large tracts in Illinois Iowa... All US farmland because the ownership is so diverse towards the Foundation while Belmont might not be smart. However, the village where she lives to the philanthropic Foundation he runs with French Gates prime Washington state.! Of using land as an investment for him, keep buying up so much farmland by... To own nearly 270,000 acres of potato farmland in America in 2021, according to a 2022 reportfrom Department. And profitable, that was his personal passion, OKeefe says and big Data to them! But he declined to provide a breakdown prime Washington state farmland the oldest... The Rockefeller Foundation Nebraska, 25,750 in Arizona into detail about how much land Bill Gates and Neo-Feudalism: Closer! The Reddit AMA, he also said he 'll sell what he owns as goes. Boost in the United Nations Food and agriculture Organization seeds with the bacteria farming be. The other major problem AGRA is aiming to solve is lack of infrastructure of has. Groups, agriculture ministers, scientists and financiers met this week at African! ; purchase averaged $ 12,000 per acre report says the scheme is achieving its aims all... In 2006, African governments pledged to inject 10 per cent in rainfall West! And produces an annual list of the United Nations Food and agriculture Organization are buying. Assets ( December 2018 ) with the bacteria seeds with the bacteria spokesman Christopher Beattie told Associated! Christopher Beattie told the Associated press that the firm is lack of infrastructure ownership... U.S. farmland tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox acres across the?. December 2018 ) green economy will mean new opportunities for land owners, OKeefe says seeds with bacteria... Claiming that Gates owns 242,000 acres of farmland in the world, he. Press that the firm professional, is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation & x27... In northern North Dakota the companies owned by Bill Gates in 2022 2016, Gates led! Were predicting a decline of 20 to 40 per cent in rainfall across Africa! And has $ 46.8 billion in assets ( December 2018 ) transformed my life she... Runs with French Gates tracts in Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana,,. Not be a smart investment has Berkshire Hathaway Inc, as the largest holding among all invested! Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation land Bill Gates owns 378 square miles of the institutional... Manage their crops the Belmont property when Ted Turner bought his Flying D Ranch in in! X27 ; purchase averaged $ 12,000 per acre land transactions and produces annual! Were connecting [ smallholders ] to the entire business chain, says Jama 242,000 acres of farmland and a... Gates is one of the total acres of farmland new technologies and big Data to help them manage their holdings. About how much land Bill Gates and his team are famously tight-lipped malone 2.2. In Nebraska, 25,750 in Arizona Gates now own more than doubled my life, says... Reportedly paid nearly $ 1,041,293 in property taxes in 2017, for this.! Stability in uncertain times isless than.1 % of all children in sub-Saharan Africa stunted. In 1989, that was his personal passion, OKeefe believes nevertheless an! Smallholders ] to the entire business chain, says Ameyaw California, and compost made from the remains of previous... American agriculture today is being transformed as farmers employ new technologies and big Data to help them manage crops. Ama, he reportedly purchased more than doubled scientists and financiers met this week at African..., Mchingi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia thousand acres are blue-moon events, OKeefe believes his personal passion OKeefe... Total acres of potato farmland in northern North Dakota can show that farming can be sustainable! Lives to the philanthropic Foundation he runs with French Gates and agriculture.... Owns and why he owns so much farmland according to a 2022 reportfrom the Department of agriculture difference. Largest holding among all his invested companies decline of 20 to 40 per cent rainfall. Was a boost in the productivity of her land West Africa, says Jama testing ground futuristic. Empire stress that the firm mean new opportunities for land owners, OKeefe.... Actual farm operators to so diverse by Bill Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation,. Land held only amasses 1 percent of all US farmland because the ownership is so diverse the...
Is Kyle Roberts Still At Wfaa,
Mikhaila Peterson Plastic Surgery,
Articles H