By Lynda Kiernan The New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYSCRF) has made a commitment of $300 million to the Avenue Capital Sustainable Solutions Fund, according to an announcement made by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The NYSCRF is the third largest public pension fund in the U.S. It holds and invests the […]
By Lynda Kiernan We usually don’t hear much about ag or food deal activity occurring out of Romania, but the country was recently featured in a couple of newsworthy events. Natural Food Highlander Partners has acquired Romanian natural food company Sano Vita through its Romania-registered investment vehicle Roho Healthy Food Investments. Approval for the acquisition […]
By Lynda Kiernan Incofin Investment Management announced it has secured another $76 million in capital commitments for its agRIF fund, a third generation fund launched in 2015 to succeed Incofin’s Rural Fund I and Rural Impulse Fund II, with the mission to address the funding gap as it applies to smallholder farmers. Included in this […]
By Lynda Kiernan The Agri-Business Capital Fund (ABC Fund) announced it has made its maiden investment in Socak Katana, a Cocoa cooperative based in Côte d’Ivoire. This investment will be the first in a series of investments in cocoa cooperatives that will eventually support and help 10,000 farmers achieve greater revenue and market access. The […]
By Lynda Kiernan Thor Talseth, head of private equity for AMERRA Capital Management, is leaving his position with the firm to launch the Neptune Aquaculture PE Fund, a vehicle with the goal of identifying and investing in opportunities along the aquaculture supply chain. Aquaculture is the fastest growing segment in animal protein production, and was […]
By Lynda Kiernan Australia-based Palladium has announced the launch of the Palladium Impact Fund I, a fund established to invest in SMEs along the agribusiness value chain and off-grid clean energy in sub-Saharan Africa. The fund will also prioritize its capital to women, fostering economic empowerment and generating opportunities for the underserved. “For this first […]
By Lynda Kiernan Belgium-based Lotus Bakeries, owner of the Nakd snack bar and BEAR snacks brands, is launching FF2032 (Fast Forward 2032), an incubator fund to invest in emerging U.S. and EU-based brands and growth companies offering “innovative products, technologies, or market approaches within the food sector”. The naming of the fund is reflective of […]
By Lynda Kiernan Based in Perth, Australia, Alterra is an agricultural investment company focused on capitalizing upon institutional investor interest in agricultural production in Western Australia. After de-merging its carbon-conscious business earlier this year, Alterra’s strategy is to develop underutilized or undervalued farmland with reliable water supplies into investment-grade agricultural assets, and, in some cases, […]
by Lynda Kiernan EXEO Capital’s Agri-Vie Fund II has made an undisclosed investment in PPHL in exchange for a significant minority stake. PPHL’s Tanzanian wholly-owned subsidiary PPTL is a leading regional producer of grain, sugar, and fertilizer bags, including its PICS Hermetic grain storage bags developed by Purdue University, and tarpaulins for the agricultural industry. […]
by Lynda Kiernan A transaction report released in June indicates that Texas Teacher Retirement System (TRS) committed a total of $1.1 billion across five alternative investment strategies. Included in these transactions was an allocation of $100 million from TRS’ energy/natural resources/ infrastructure portfolio to Padawan, a separate account connected with Paine Schwartz Partners’ Paine Schwartz […]
