The Obama administration has unveiled a proposal to launch a global fund to aid sustainable farming practices in developing countries. The US says it wants the fund to total around $22 billion, but has pledged less than $500 million. Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates helped unveil the proposal on Thursday.

Bill Gates: “We believe that investing in small farmers is an incredibly effective way to fight hunger and extreme poverty. History has proved many times that these are good investments, and it’s great to see that we’re putting agriculture back on the agenda.”