Bill Gates Supports World’s Poorest Farmers

ill Gates spoke out last week looking to gain support for the world’s poorest farmers, and their fight with the threats posed by climate change.

In his GatesNote blog, he highlighted the important role of these farmers, in producing a large (a growing) share of the worlds food supply.

Gates mentioned in his blog “For the world’s poorest farmers, life is a high-wire act – without safety nets. They don’t have access to improved seeds, fertilizer, irrigation systems, and other beneficial technologies, as farmers in rich countries do,” he also went on a say “Now, climate change is set to add a fresh layer of risk to their lives … Of all the people who will suffer from climate change, they are likely to suffer the most.”

The key aspects that need attention are linked to improving water management, to guard against times of drought; to scientific research to develop seeds with pest resistant qualities, and that require less fertilizer to flourish.

One of Gates Aides added “He is trying to make sure that money gets spent on what he would think is the highest priority which is food vulnerability for the poorest people,” mentioned the chief economic and policy adviser to the Foundation, Geoffrey Lamb. “It’s the people who are very vulnerable.”

The Gates Foundation said it spends about $390m on aid programmes aimed at small-scale farmers or more than 10% of its total grants.