Provided $25 million to HarvestPlus — launching the global biofortified crop movement
The Gates Foundation granted $25 million to HarvestPlus, a global research program within CGIAR dedicated to breeding and disseminating staple crops with higher levels of iron, zinc, and vitamin A. At the time, micronutrient deficiency — affecting over two billion people — caused widespread stunting, blindness, and immune failure in the developing world. HarvestPlus developed iron-rich beans reaching millions of farmers in Rwanda and Uganda, zinc-enriched rice for South Asia, and vitamin A cassava in Nigeria. The initiative established biofortification as a mainstream nutrition strategy.
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Invested over $750 million in CGIAR international agricultural research centers
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Launched Grand Challenges in Global Health to solve neglected science problems
Related Accomplishments
April 2026
Gates Foundation Announces External Governance Review and 20% Staff Reduction Amid Epstein Fallout
In April 2026, the Gates Foundation announced an independent external governance review led by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and two former US federal judges, tasked with examining Foundation oversight structures, donor transparency, and executive conduct policies. The Foundation simultaneously announced a 20% reduction in its global workforce — approximately 500 positions — citing the need to streamline operations. Foundation CEO Mark Suzman described the reductions as part of a 'strategic reset' unrelated to the Epstein scrutiny; critics and former staff disputed that characterization.
March 2026
US House Oversight Committee Issues Subpoena to Gates Foundation Over Epstein-Era Documents
In March 2026, the US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability issued a subpoena to the Gates Foundation demanding internal communications, grant records, and financial documents related to Jeffrey Epstein spanning 2010–2019. The committee gave the Foundation a 30-day compliance deadline. A Gates Foundation spokesperson said the organization was 'reviewing the request and committed to cooperating fully with legitimate oversight.' The subpoena focused specifically on whether Foundation grant decisions were influenced by Epstein and whether donor privacy obligations had been used to shield Epstein's involvement.
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