A South Dakota Congressman is demanding Bill Gates be brought before a committee to explain why he is purchasing vast amounts of farmland in the United States while telling Americans to stop eating meat.
As we highlighted earlier this month, Gates, who already owns close to 270,000 acres of land in the U.S., has been granted the legal authority to buy another 2100 acres in North Dakota despite protests by local residents.
Gates is circumventing a 1932 anti-corporate farm ownership law by pledging to lease the land back to farmers after the purchase is complete.
Now South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson is demanding answers.
“It has become clear in recent reports that Mr. Gates is the largest private farmland owner in America – he now owns nearly 270,000 acres of farmland across 19 states. Comparatively, the average farm size in 2021 was 445 acres, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. I believe that Mr. Gates’ holdings across much of our nation is a significant portion that the Committee should not ignore,” Johnson wrote in a letter addressed to committee chairman David Scott.
He also took to Twitter to ask how Gates buying huge quantities of farmland was consistent with him telling Americans not to eat meat.
“Bill Gates is the largest owner of US farmland. I’m curious what’s planned for this incredibly productive ag land given that he believes developed countries like America “shouldn’t eat any red meat.” How are his land purchases related to those aspirations?” asked Johnson.
Bill Gates is the largest owner of US farmland. I’m curious what’s planned for this incredibly productive ag land given that he believes developed countries like America “shouldn’t eat any red meat.” How are his land purchases related to those aspirations? https://t.co/16CxSZB6D4
— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) July 20, 2022
Read More: Congressman Demands Bill Gates Explain Why He’s Buying Up Vast Amounts of Farmland