Institutional capital continues to deepen its presence across agricultural supply chains, with a trend emerging of pension investors taking direct ownership stakes in operating agri-businesses. Among the most recent deals, Brazil-based orange juice and citrus ingredients producer Citrosuco has ushered in Canada’s pension juggernaut, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), with nearly C$300 billion in total assets under management, as its latest shareholder, marking a long-term partnership that highlights growing LP demand for permanent crops and agricultural assets.
PSP Investments enters the partnership through its Natural Resources group, which has built a deep track record investing across agriculture and timber assets, including permanent crops. That experience positions the Canadian pension investor as more than a passive shareholder. Instead, PSP brings long-term capital and operational insight that can help support Citrosuco’s growth in orange production and processing, while also opening the door to broader diversification opportunities across the company’s agricultural footprint.
In addition to PSP, Cirrosuco’s investor lineup extends to Grupo Fischer, Votorantim. Of the latest investment, Citrosuco CEO Mario Bertoncini stated, “We are pleased to welcome PSP Investments as a strategic partner. PSP brings complementary sector expertise, strengthens our capital base, and adds a long-term investment horizon that aligns with our commitment to sustainability, competitiveness, resilience, diversification, and global growth.”
PSP Investments Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Natural Resources Marc Drouin commented, “Our investment in Citrosuco reflects PSP’s confidence in the long-term potential of the food and agriculture sector and our commitment to responsible investing. We are proud to support Citrosuco as it embarks on its next phase of growth and to help create lasting value alongside like-minded partners.”
Citrosuco is embarking on a major growth push, scaling up its orchard footprint at a fast pace, with new development targeted in and around São Paulo’s primary citrus-producing corridor. “This initiative will increase productivity, improve fruit quality, increase the share of company-grown fruit used in production, and scale up production — strengthening long-term competitiveness and supply security while promoting sustainable agricultural practices,” said Mario Bertoncini. “This expansion is also part of a broader vision of long-term resilience,” stated Bertoncini.
More broadly, pension plans have been unlocking creative ways to gain exposure to agriculture and farmland beyond traditional fund structures. According to the latest Preqin data cited in industry reports, public pension funds historically represented the largest share of institutional investors in agricultural and farmland investments, accounting for about 20 percent of institutions alongside sovereign wealth funds and endowments. Several large pension funds, including Canada’s PSP Investments and U.S. institutional investors such as TIAA, remain among the largest institutional holders of ag assets, highlighting continued LP interest in the asset class across direct farmland ownership and integrated agri-business platforms like the PSP Investments stake in Citrosuco.
The content put forth by Global AgInvesting News and its parent company Arc Network LLC is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. All information or other material herein is not to be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Global AgInvesting and HighQuest Partners are not a fiduciary in any manner, and the reader assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content on this site.