Bill Gates’ recent purchase of American farmland is hurting his bank account more than the planet, according to a new book.
The work, written by bestselling journalist Seamus Bruner, also claims that the billionaire’s investments in fertilizers and plant-based meat, as he claims, do little to slow carbon emissions and come at the expense of ordinary Americans.
A section of the just-released book entitled Controligarchs, which focuses on this so-called “war on the peasants,” elaborates on these claims.
There, Bruner writes how figures like Gates are monopolizing the country’s food supply with their purchases, paving the way for at least a 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 acres of American farmland, Bruner writes how Gates – an outspoken advocate of climate action – will capitalize on his speculation.
Bill Gates’ recent purchase of American farmland is hurting his bank account more than the planet, a new book that examines the influence of billionaire claims
The tech billionaire has quietly bought up 270,000 acres of farmland in 18 states — and a total of 268,984 acres of multi-use land in 19 states, making him the largest agricultural landowner in the United States
“The takeover of the food system, like so many other control schemes in this book, began with the Rockefellers and was driven by Bill Gates,” Bruner writes in his study of the influence of billionaires on Americans.
“Like most of their monopolies – from oil to software to biotechnology – the food takeover is all about controlling the intellectual property of food production through trademarks, copyrights and patents,” he continues.
He then writes about Gates’ alleged connection to the Rockefellers through the “Green Revolution,” a period of rapid growth in food grain production in the United States in the first half of the 19th century.
These advances, says Bruner, were only made possible by millions of dollars in Rockefeller-funded research in the 1940s that were intended to solve the crises of poverty and hunger following 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 by 70 heirs – acknowledge the fruits of their efforts while blaming the negatives reject yourself.
Negative aspects, he pointed out, included pollution caused by pesticides and the consolidation of small farms into sprawling operations – things that appear to support 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.
Written by best-selling journalist Seamus Bruner, the work – a study of the influence of billionaires on Americans – argues that Gates’ investments in fertilizers and plant-based meat, he claims, do little to slow carbon emissions and that they citizens’ costs
A section of the just-released book discusses this “war on farmers,” claiming that Gates will soon profit from pesticide pollution and the consolidation of small farms into sprawling corporate operations. Shown here is a farm Gates recently purchased in North Dakota
Citing “pollution, resource depletion, and the consolidation of small and family farms,” the author explains how he believes Gates is attempting to acquire the intellectual property of food production through a series of trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Here you can see another part of the same potato farm that was bought last year for 13.5 million
In 2018, a “Louisiana investor,” later revealed to be 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 memory
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 also works to support agriculture
Citing “pollution, resource depletion, and the consolidation of small and family farms into giant, corporate-controlled operations,” the author explains that he believes history is now repeating itself, and how Gates is trying to gain intellectual property rights in food Production through a number of trademarks and patents.
“Instead of taking responsibility for the new problems, the Rockefellers took all the responsibility for crop abundance while blaming the new problems on the convenient scapegoat of climate change.”
“Well, the Controligarchs.” [Gates and other investors] claiming they can solve the climate crisis with new patented miracle products that will make them even richer, and once again at the expense of independent small farmers.’
Late last year, Gates defended his recent interest in agriculture on Reddit after many accused him of buying up “most” of America’s farmland to create food shortages before profiting from it with other food investments.
“I own less than 1/4,000th of the farmland in the United States,” he wrote at the time, after securing thousands of acres of land in 18 states.
In his book, Bruner cites how Gates 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 up “most” of America’s farmland to cause food shortages before capitalizing on them with other food investments
“It should come as no surprise that while 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.