Page 19 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 13

Wholeness

push government policies towards commercialization GMO maize in at artificially pack nutrients into single
more chemical inputs, fertilisers least four African countries. So the crop commodities.
and hybrid seeds. On its website, Gates Foundation is not only fund-
AGRF has a special section it calls ing public acceptance of GMOs, it Then, of course, there is Bill Gates
the Agribusiness deal room, which is also directly funding the approval himself. Sitting down with heads of
“has directly facilitated over 400 and commercialisation of GMOs in state, policy makers and business
companies with targeted investor Africa. leaders, Gates tries to convince
matchmaking and hosted more than them that his view of the world
800 companies to explore network- Gates grantees are clearly carrying is the one to go after. The world
ing opportunities”.13 This is clearly the Gates agenda and influencing has gotten used to pictures of him
market matchmaking serving corpo- global agricultural policy. In just shaking hands or sitting shoulder
rate interests, not farmers. over a decade, the Gates brainchild to shoulder with the leaders of
in Africa, AGRA, has managed to the world. Indeed, many of those
While most of the Gates grants manoeuvre itself from nowhere leaders seem very eager to be in
are aimed at pushing technological right into the centre of agricultural these pictures and heed his advice.
solutions, many are also oriented policy discussions across the con- The most recent display of this
towards policy change. A total of tinent. Similarly, while resistance to was at Joe Biden’s virtual “Leaders
45 grants address policy or policy GMOs in Africa remains high, the Summit on Climate” where Gates
makers. For example, Iowa State AATF is managing to get legislation shared his vision on how to fight the
University got a grant to support adopted to accept GMOs, as seen climate crisis.16 His recipe to tackle
implementation of policy changes most recently in Ghana. It’s just as the climate crisis is very similar and
aimed at increasing the supply of important to look at who the Gates equally dangerous to how he wants
new seeds to farmers in Africa. The Foundation is supporting as who to feed the world: develop new tech-
World Economic Forum received a they are not supporting; African nologies, trust the market, and put
grant to support a “policy platform farmers. The Foundation provides in place policies so that corporations
for ag innovation and value chain zero funding to support farmer seed can make it all happen faster.17
development”, whilst the African systems, which supply 80 to 90% of
Centre for Economic Transforma- all the seeds used in Africa. Instead, Gates clearly isn’t listening to or
tion got a grant to promote agri- it provides a lot of funds to initia- learning from the people on the
cultural transformation in Africa tives that destroy them. Further- ground. So why should anyone
aimed at policy reforms. In addition, more, the Gates Foundation props listen to him? Rather than being
the Foundation is actively involved up biofortification as a solution to listened to, Gates and his top down
in bankrolling the “Enabling the malnutrition, taking funds and atten- corporate technology agenda must
Business of Agriculture” project, tion away from much more practical be resisted and stopped in its tracks.
implemented by the World Bank, and culturally appropriate efforts
amongst many other initiatives.14 to improve nutrition by enhancing GRAIN wishes to thank Camila
on-farm biodiversity and people’s Oda and María Teresa Montecinos
Gates’ enthusiasm for GMOs is access to it.15 Over the last decade for their help in compiling the data-
made clear through its grant da- or so, the Gates Foundation has giv- base and to ‘A Growing Culture’ for
tabase. Michigan State University en US$73 million to biofortification their feedback on the draft and their
received US$13 million to create initiatives that essentially seek to work on the infographic.
a centre in Africa that provides
training for African policy makers
on how to use and promote bio-
technology. The African Seed Trade
Association got a grant to increase
farmers’ awareness “of the benefits
of replacing their older varieties of
crops with newer seed”. AATF got
US$32 million to increase aware-
ness on the benefits of agricultural
biotechnology and another US$27
million to fund the approval and

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 13 | JULY 2021 19