Gates Foundation Trust Purchases Approximately 500,000 Shares of Monsanto — World's Largest Agricultural Biotech Company
SEC 13-F filings revealed that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust purchased approximately 500,000 shares of Monsanto Company — then the world's largest agricultural biotechnology company — in 2010, valued at roughly $23 million. The investment attracted criticism from advocacy groups who argued it signalled foundation support for Monsanto's model of patent-protected seeds and herbicide-tolerant crops. The Foundation stated that investment decisions are separate from its grant-making. The position was subsequently reduced and eventually sold.
Source: https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0001293890&type=13-F
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