DC News - Bill Gates Gives $50 Million to UC Davis' Agricultural Research Center

Beverly Hills billionaires give UC Davis $50 million to build agricultural research hub

“People who have a lot of money have to be willing to be philanthropists,” said Brian Rodden, a senior research fellow with the Center for Public Integrity. “They really want to make sure that they’re not taking for granted what’s the most important thing in the world and giving it away to other people.”

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi announced Wednesday that the university will give $50 million over 10 years to the California Agricultural Experiment Station, a research hub for agriculture, food and health in Oakland, California. The station will receive research tools, equipment, and facilities.

“The California Agricultural Research Center is deeply enmeshed,” Katehi said. “It is central to the university’s mission to foster scientific discovery, produce knowledge for the benefit of humankind, and lead a high-performing society.”

Among a group of billionaires who are making large donations to the agriculture division at UC Davis is Bill Gates, the world’s richest person.

The university also received $4.9 million in 2015. The agriculture department gets an annual allocation of $3 million. That donation has been matched by the state and the university.

While the agricultural department is well-funded, it has struggled with research priorities in recent years.

At the Agriculture and Food Convention in Sacramento in January, Katehi acknowledged that the department does not have the resources to make important discoveries.

“In a world of ever-escalating demand for the products we provide to consumers and a world of ever

Bill Gates Gives $50 Million to UC Davis’ Agricultural Research Center

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