Gates Foundation invests $1.4bn in farmers impacted by extreme weather – AgTechNavigator.com

Gates Foundation Commits $1.4 Billion to Advance Sustainable Development Goals for Smallholder Farmers

At the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), the Gates Foundation announced a significant $1.4 billion investment over four years to support smallholder farmers. This initiative directly addresses the challenges of climate change and is strategically aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to enhance food security, reduce poverty, and promote climate action.

Strategic Investment Areas Aligned with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)

The funding is designated to bolster the resilience and productivity of smallholder farmers, who are critical to global food systems yet highly vulnerable to climate impacts. The investment focuses on key areas that support SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by improving agricultural output and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by building adaptive capacity. Core initiatives include:

• The development and deployment of digital advisory services.
• The advancement of climate-resilient crops and livestock.
• The promotion of innovations in soil health, contributing to SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Fostering Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

The investment will expand support for existing collaborations, demonstrating a commitment to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Key supported programs are:

1. AIM for Scale: This program aims to provide 100 million farmers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America with AI-based weather forecasts by 2030, directly supporting SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
2. TomorrowNow and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization: This partnership currently provides local weather alerts to over 5 million Kenyan farmers, with plans to expand into Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.
3. Novo Nordisk Foundation: A previous $30 million investment in this foundation targeted advancements in soil health, reinforcing efforts toward sustainable land management.

Addressing Disparities in Climate Finance to Achieve SDG 1 (No Poverty)

A 2021 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicates that smallholder farms (under two hectares) produce approximately 35% of the world’s food. Despite this, a Climate Policy Foundation report highlights that these small-scale agrifood systems receive only 0.8% ($5.53 billion) of total climate finance. The Gates Foundation’s investment seeks to address this critical funding gap, thereby contributing to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by improving the livelihoods of farmers in agrarian economies.

Leveraging Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 9)

In a memo preceding COP30, Bill Gates emphasized the transformative potential of technology in agriculture for improving health and prosperity in the world’s poorest countries. The investment underscores the importance of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by closing the technology gap for smallholder farmers. Examples of such technological applications include:

• Advanced Crop Breeding: African agricultural scientists, with support from the foundation, have developed new maize seeds for Kenyan farmers that are resilient to drier conditions caused by climate change.
• Mobile Technology: Simple mobile devices are being utilized to provide smallholder farmers with essential agronomic advice.
• Artificial Intelligence: AI-driven suggestions are helping growers optimize practices, such as determining the best time to apply fertilizer.

As stated by Bill Gates, “In the next five years, a low-income farmer will be able to get better advice than anything that’s available to the richest farmers today.”

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues and initiatives that are directly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus on supporting smallholder farmers against climate change and improving their livelihoods touches upon goals related to poverty, hunger, climate action, and partnerships.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article directly addresses poverty by focusing on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, who are often part of the world’s poorest populations. The text states that “agriculture needs to change to improve the lives of poorest countries, since those countries are often agrarian economies,” linking agricultural support directly to poverty reduction.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  This goal is central to the article’s theme. By investing in smallholder farmers, who “produce approximately 35% of the food,” the initiatives aim to enhance food security. The support for “climate-resilient crops,” “soil health innovations,” and improved productivity directly contributes to achieving sustainable agriculture and ending hunger.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The entire context of the article is the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), and the investment is explicitly framed as a response to climate change. The initiatives are designed to help farmers “face the threat of climate change head-on” and build “resilience” by providing tools like “AI-based weather forecasts” and crops that can “thrive in drier seasons due to climate change.”

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article exemplifies this goal by describing a multi-stakeholder partnership. The Gates Foundation is collaborating with non-profits like TomorrowNow, national bodies like the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, and other foundations such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation to achieve its objectives. This mobilization of financial resources, technology, and expertise is a core aspect of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

The article’s content points to several specific targets under the identified SDGs.

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events. The article’s core message is about investing in the “resilience” of smallholder farmers to help them adapt to climate change, which is a direct alignment with this target.

2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers. The initiatives described, such as providing “digital advisory services,” “climate-resilient crops,” and AI-driven advice on fertilization, are all aimed at improving the productivity and, consequently, the livelihoods and incomes of smallholder farmers.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production…and strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change. The development of “new maize seeds for Kenyan farmers, which can thrive in drier seasons” and investments in “soil health innovations” are clear examples of implementing resilient agricultural practices to adapt to climate change.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The investment is explicitly to support farmers who “face the threat of climate change head-on” and to “build resilience on their own terms,” which directly supports this target.
   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change…adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. Providing “AI-based weather forecasts” and “local weather alerts” to millions of farmers is a direct implementation of this target, enhancing their capacity for early warning and adaptation.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.7: Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries. The article details the dissemination of technologies like “AI-based weather forecasts,” “climate-resilient crops,” and mobile advisory services to farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources. The collaboration between the Gates Foundation, TomorrowNow, and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization is a prime example of such a partnership mobilizing financial resources and technology.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress.

• Financial Investment: The article specifies the amount of funding committed, which is a key indicator of resource mobilization.
  • “$1.4 billion commitment from the Gates Foundation over the next four years.”
  • A previous “$30 million investment in the Novo Nordisk Foundation” for soil health.
  • The article also provides a baseline by noting that only “$5.53 billion — or 0.8% of total climate finance — go towards small-scale agrifood systems,” allowing for measurement of increased financial flows.
• Number of Beneficiaries: The article provides specific numbers for the reach of the programs, which is a direct indicator of impact and scale.
  • A goal of providing “100 million farmers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America with AI-based weather forecasts by 2030.”
  • Currently providing “local weather alerts to more than 5 million Kenyan farmers.”
• Geographic Expansion: Progress can be measured by the expansion of services to new regions.
  • The article mentions “plans to expand into Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.”
• Technological Development and Adoption: The article implies that the development and adoption of new agricultural technologies are key metrics.
  • Development of “new maize seeds for Kenyan farmers.”
  • Adoption of “digital advisory services,” “climate-resilient crops and livestock,” and “soil health innovations.”

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: agtechnavigator.com