Contributed Content: Agriculture as an Asset Class
by Michael DeSa, Founder/CEO, AGD Consulting Agriculture is one of the oldest asset classes in the world, time-tested and proven to weather economic uncertainty. Within agriculture, farmland has historically proven itself as a tangible, stable storage of wealth, appreciating approximately 3.5 percent annually over the last 30 years.
Read moreIsrael, India to Launch Tech Fund
During a visit to Israel by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries announced the launch of the Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund (I4F) - an investment vehicle designed to focus on mutually beneficial investments in sectors ranging from agriculture to water to space. Under the terms of the fund, each country has agreed
Read moreTakeaways From GAI AgTech Week 2017 – Labor Pains
Often when discussing agricultural production and agtech innovation, the conversation focuses on the challenges associated with factors such as crop yields, inputs, and climate change - all valid and important considerations. These topics of study and development are also largely quantifiable (which is a very good thing) however, labor issues
Read moreTakeaways From GAI AgTech Week 2017 – Adoption
There is a universal imperative for global agricultural production - it must produce more with less. Population growth means the industry must produce more food, however, urbanization and pollution mean that it must achieve this goal with less land. Meanwhile, consumers and environmentalists are pushing for the reduction or elimination of the
Read moreMellinger’s Minutes: Executives in Transition
Non-Traditional Player Alert - Top Talent - I was contacted this morning by a former senior government figure seeking her next role in the agriculture sector. She had a sense that there may be dynamic and novel types of board and management roles to be found among investors, private equity, venture capital, and agtech non-traditional players w
Read moreNew Player Finds Market Niche in Agri Commodity Services
By Michelle Pelletier Marshall Arcadia Group, a global commodity trading house, primarily focused on the energy markets and headquartered in London, UK, has found a new niche in the agricultural space that has this non-traditional player starting up a risk management solutions company called Arcadia Agri. It will service small and mid-size ag
Read moreThree Innovations Driving the Second Agtech Boom
By Michael Helmstetter, CEO, TechAccel The only constant is change. Yet, for decades now, the agriculture industry has been defying this principle by pursuing a course of unsustainable consolidation. The biggest ag players have left critical challenges unanswered while producers have weathered a brutal downturn in the commodities market.
Read moreMellinger’s Minutes: AgTech Trends – Asia
AgTech trends - I've been traveling the last two weeks meeting with agricultural stakeholders. Japanese agtech firms are proliferating to meet the demographic and productivity challenges of farming in Japan, and they wish to offer their solutions across Asia, and the world. I met with firms with robotics technologies for handling delicate f
Read moreMellinger’s Minutes: Verifying Organic in the Global Supply Chain
Demand in the U.S. for organic food, including milk, meat and eggs, continues to grow, placing strains on global supply chains to ensure the adequate supply of feed ingredients required to produce those products. This recent Washington Post article highlights some of the risks associated with trading counter-parties and the potential for f
Read moreMellinger’s Minutes: Institutional Investors Getting into Agtech
At HighQuest, recent interactions with investors have focused on their interest in agtech. These investors, large and small are looking for strong returns, diversification, and improved agricultural asset performance. Conventional wisdom is that primarily, strategic players and private/angel investors are the ones allocating to these growth
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