It’s time to close the agricultural
innovation gap for good.

Gates Ag One believes that all lives have equal value and was created to accelerate the most promising agricultural innovations being made available to those who need them most: smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. 

Our multidisciplinary team brings decades of practical experience in product development and technical and regulatory support to Gates Ag One. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, our work was designed to be complementary and based on shared values.

Gates Ag One’s open innovation framework aims to further inform, accelerate, and — in due course — sustain a broader innovation ecosystem for the future. The goal is to create customized solutions for smallholder farmers that continue to evolve with their changing needs.

To do so, we commit to work collaboratively and transparently and stay razor-focused on maximizing our impact. 

As Gates Ag One, we strive to bring about a world where agriculture becomes an ever-greater sustainable solution to the systemic challenges the world is facing.

Where We Work

Gates Ag One focuses on those regions in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where the scale of need and market viability are greatest.

Smallholder farmers make an essential contribution to the global food system, yet they face increasingly challenging conditions both on the demand and supply side — including climate change, lack of access to agricultural technologies, growing populations, and evolving consumer preferences. Specifically, our initial countries of engagement are seven African countries – Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda – and two South Asian countries –India and Bangladesh. The near-term regional focus is sub-Saharan Africa.

This map depicts the borders recognized by the United Nations and does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.