Bill Gates on Farming

Nothing against the OLPC project, but I like Bill’s idea a little bit better.

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates announced a new direction Friday as he pledged $306 million in grants to develop farming in poor countries and leading the charge for for corporate responsibility at a major meeting of business chiefs.

“If we are serious about ending extreme hunger and poverty around the world, we must be serious about transforming agriculture for small farmers, most of whom are women,” Gates said.

I’m not much of an anthropologist or historian, but it just seems like common sense that in order to help the most impoverished nations, the right way to go about it is to develop sufficient agricultural infrastructure and supply (and of course, cheap, renewable sources of energy (solar, wind) and clean drinking water).

As much love as Steve Jobs gets from the hipster crowd, I think Bill deserves some dap as well for his truly humanistic altruism.  If anyone can make some true headway in solving some of the most difficult humanitarian problems in the world, it’s Bill Gates.