Gates Letter Pushes Food Aid Ahead of Davos Summit

In his annual letter detailing the work and goals of the world’s largest charity, Bill Gates put the focus on agricultural research to reduce hunger in the developing world, Forbes and The New York Times write.

The missive urges governments and private entities to fund a new “Green Revolution” to improve crop yields and help feed the 15 percent of the world’s population that lives in extreme poverty. It was made public Tuesday as Mr. Gates headed to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he planned to repeat the call for farming aid.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given about $2-billion for agricultural programs. Most of the $25-billion the grant maker has donated has gone to public health, which has long topped its global agenda. Mr. Gates said that in drafting this year’s letter he felt food issues do not get sufficient attention but elicit broad public support when brought to light.

“We get a strong response on health issues,” the former Microsoft chairman told The Times. “But when we show a farmer getting better sweet potatoes that are more nutritious, the response is even stronger.”