This is a National Science Foundation newsletter from 2009, it says Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave the NSF $50 Million. This is old news but $50 million goes a long way.
National Science Foundation Announces Partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Foster Sustainable Agricultural Solutions
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114493&org=NSF
13 years later what does the National Science Foundation do?
Gives $500,000 to University of California Riverside scientist to see whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories.
https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2021/09/16/grow-and-eat-your-own-vaccines
Now, does this explain why Bill Gates has been buying up all the farm land?
Fair warning, better start growing your own food or you will become a lab rat in the next Bill Gates research experiment.
I’m more concerned with him owning the land over the western states aquifers, and southern states water sheds ... https://wwals.net/2014/10/22/bill-gates-gobbling-georgia-farmland/
Excellent point!
In California, water rights and land rights are often separate. Here in gold country our property rights go 100 feet deep.
Same in Colorado, property often does not include the minerals or water rights, unless of course the property has top surface water, drilled well etc. underground gets more complicated.