The Gates Foundation and Its Influence on African Agriculture

The Gates Foundation is one of the most powerful actors shaping agricultural policy and practice in Africa,yet there are few mechanisms to hold it accountable to the communities it affects. As the main funder of the controversial AGRA initiative (formerly the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), the foundation has backed an approach that prioritises high-input, monocrop farming. Evidence-based critiques, including AGRA’s own internal review, show that this model has failed to deliver food security despite billions in aid and subsidies.

Critics warn that the so-called “green revolution” has deepened inequality, worsened hunger, and strengthened corporate control over Africa’s food systems. This resource page compiles key research, reports, and media coverage on these concerns. You can explore more of our reporting on the Gates Foundation’s influence on food systems here.

Content adapted from research by U.S. Right to Know, pursuing truth and transparency for public health.