It seems that Bill Gates is the largest individual owner of agricultural land in the United States, thanks to the tens of thousands of acres that he bought in his name and in the name of his ex-wife, Melinda Gates, and although some believe that the reason for this passion for owning lands planted with vegetables is due to the interest of one of the world's richest people in the environment, but is it This is the only reason that pushes the founder of "Microsoft" and one of the most famous technology men in the world to buy agricultural land?

The largest owner of agricultural land in the United States

NBC News reported in June 2021 that the Gates family has acquired more than 269,000 acres of farms in the United States in the past 10 years, and this area - which Cascade Investments helped buy - includes (Cascade Investment) and a number of other companies - farmland in nearly 20 states, with assets of more than $690 million.

The network and the report of the magazine "The Land Report" specialized in agricultural investment in the United States reported at the beginning of the year 2021 that the tech billionaire and his wife were among the largest owners of private agricultural land in the country.

But, according to the Agricultural Journal, he is also among the best owners of agricultural land because he grows it with a variety of crops, as the US Department of Agriculture estimates that about 30% (about 100,000 acres) of agricultural land in the American states is rented by people who work as real estate owners and do not participate in agriculture .

Bill Gates is among the best owners of agricultural land because he grows it with a variety of crops (pixels)

With the publication of these reports, Gates faced criticism from some farmers and environmentalists, who found in this a contradiction between his general environmental advocacy and his personal investment strategy, and that he encourages non-farmer and inexperienced owners to invest by purchasing land they cannot cultivate.

Critics believe that the entry of businessmen into buying and renting agricultural land causes its high prices for local farmers, and also contributes to pushing towards "industrial agriculture" from which large investors achieve greater returns than others, especially since America's wealthy know implicitly that buying land is the most secure way to store Their wealth and preservation of their value, according to a report by the American "Vox" network.

But Gates' defenders considered his purchase of agricultural land as part of the billionaire's efforts to support the environment and confront climate change. It does this to "save the planet" and also provides jobs for small farmers.

But Gates himself previously differentiated between his defense of the climate and his investments, although he also emphasized support for sustainable agriculture and finding solutions to confront climate change.

McDonald's fries from Gates Land

Data collected by The Land Report and NBC News shows that Gates' land holdings range from 70,000 acres (in northern Louisiana) grown soybeans, corn, cotton and rice, to another 20,000 acres (in Nebraska) grown with soybeans. , in addition to 14,000 acres (in Washington) planted with potatoes, as well as carrot farms (in California).

Technology billionaire's farms is a supplier to McDonald's (Reuters)

While Gates, in his book “To Avoid a Climate Disaster,” expresses his concern about eating cheeseburgers due to the amount of greenhouse gases produced during its manufacture, the technology billionaire’s farms is a supplier to McDonald’s, which buys his production to make McDonald’s French fries, according to The report of the British newspaper "The Guardian" and American newspapers.

But while Gates was promoting this book, he was asked via Reddit about his purchases of agricultural land, and he said that his investment group had chosen this field to work in, and that it was not related to climate or his vision to combat climate change, but he acknowledged that more productive farming techniques can be It can help reduce deforestation in other parts of the world, which in turn helps preserve the environment.