Bill Gates’ recent purchase of US farmland is doing more for his bank account than for the planet, a new book claims.
The work, written by best-selling journalist Seamus Bruner, also argues that the billionaire’s investments in fertilizers and plant-based meat do little to slow carbon emissions as he claims, and come at the expense of everyday Americans.
Part of the just-released book entitled Controligarchs, which delves deeper into this so-called ‘war on farmers’, elaborates on these claims.
There, Bruner writes how figures like Gates monopolize the country’s food supply with their purchases, paving the way for an at least partial takeover of the country’s food system, as families like the Rockefellers have done in the past.
Citing the Microsoft founder’s recent investments in patented fertilizers, fake meat and some 270,000 hectares of US farmland, Bruner writes how Gates – an outspoken advocate for climate action – will benefit from his speculation.
Bill Gates’ recent purchase of US farmland is doing more for his bank account than the planet, a new book examines the influence of billionaire claims
The tech billionaire has quietly bought up 270,000 acres of farmland in 18 states – and 268,984 acres of multi-use land in a total of 19 states, making him the largest farmland owner in the US
“The takeover of the food system, like so many other systems of control in this book, began with the Rockefellers and was promoted by Bill Gates,” Bruner writes in his study of the influence of billionaires on Americans.
“Like most of their monopolies – from oil to software and ultimately biotechnology – the food takeover is about controlling the intellectual property of food production through trademarks, copyrights and patents,” he continues.
He then writes about Gates’ supposed connection to the Rockefellers through “the Green Revolution,” a period of large increases in food grain production in the US during the first half of the 19th century.
This progress, Bruner says, was only made possible by millions of dollars in Rockefeller-funded research in the 1940s, which at the time was billed to help solve the crises of poverty and hunger in the wake of the Great Depression.
While Bruner admits this is partly true, the author goes on to write how the Rockefellers – currently valued at $8.4 billion among 70 heirs – took credit for the fruits of the effort while deflecting blame for the negatives.
The negative impacts, he pointed out, included pollution caused by pesticides and the consolidation of small farms into sprawling corporations — things that appear to underpin Gates’ investments.
“The Green Revolution was simultaneously proof that problems like poverty and famine can be solved through human innovation and that the solutions, such as genetically modified, pesticide-resistant crops, can create new problems,” Bruner writes.
The work, written by best-selling journalist Seamus Bruner, argues that Gates’ investments in fertilizers and plant-based meat do little to slow carbon emissions, as he claims, and come at the expense of citizens.
Part of the just-released book delves into this “war on farmers,” claiming that Gates will soon profit from the pollution caused by pesticides and the consolidation of small farms into sprawling corporate operations. Shown here is a farm in North Dakota recently purchased by Gates
Citing “pollution, resource depletion, and the consolidation of small-scale farms and family businesses,” the writer explains how he believes Gates is trying to gain intellectual property rights to food production through a series of trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Another part of the same potato company, which was bought last year for 13.5 million, can be seen here
In 2018, a “Louisiana investor,” later revealed as Gates, paid $171 million for a large tract of farmland in Horse Heaven Hill, making it one of the largest real estate transactions in recent history.
In 2014, Gates reportedly purchased more than 4,500 acres in Suwannee County, Florida, for nearly $28 million
Bill, whose home is pictured in Seattle’s Medina neighborhood, has built a diverse real estate portfolio over the years. He bought farmland in Washington state in 2018
The farmland was purchased by Gates and his wife Melinda primarily through their investment company Cascade Investments. It is not affiliated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is also committed to supporting agriculture
Citing “pollution, resource depletion, and the consolidation of small-scale family farms into giant corporate-controlled farms,” the writer explains how he believes history is now repeating itself and how he sees Gates trying to gain intellectual property rights to food. production through a range of trademarks and patents.
“Rather than take responsibility for the new problems, the Rockefellers have taken all the credit for the crop abundance while attributing the new problems to the convenient scapegoat of climate change.
“Now the Controligarchs (Gates and other investors) claim they can solve the climate crisis with new patented miracle products that will make themselves even richer and, again, at the expense of small-scale independent farmers.”
Late last year, Gates defended his recent interest in agriculture on Reddit, after many accused him of buying “the majority” of U.S. farmland as part of a plot to cause food shortages, before reaping the benefits with other food-related investments.
“I own less than 1/4000 of the farmland in the United States,” he wrote at the time, after acquiring several thousand acres in 18 states.
In his book, Bruner cites how Gates has invested millions of dollars in companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, stocks that would likely rise in the event of a shortage.
Late last year, Gates defended his recent interest in agriculture after many accused him of buying “most” of America’s farmland as part of a plot to cause food shortages, before reaping the rewards with other food-related investments.
“It should come as no surprise that while the farmers are expected to eat fermented mushrooms, lab-grown meat and maggot milkshakes, the Controligarchs – with their private chefs – have no intention of doing the same,” Bruner writes.