Binyamin Ali
Funds managed by Global Forestry Partners first invested in the 24,000 hectare estate in 1999 and will now be managed by British GP Gresham House Forestry.
The Chicago-based start-up plans to launch its products across the US in 2022 and wants to use its established bases in Singapore and India as a springboard into the continent.
Managing partner GianPaolo Potsios said the firm was forced to ‘leave some money on the table’ because of due diligence restrictions but was able to secure roughly $120m from new investors.
The firm is 'seriously considering' a distinct forestry vehicle that would target institutional investors, with its latest series of deals set to take it beyond £100m deployed into the asset class.
Veripath Farmland Partners and crowdfunder FarmTogether, both of which cater to retail investors, have respectively hit AUM milestones of $160m and $100m this summer.
The Canadian farmland investment firm could reach $1bn within three years due to a combination of inflation and low financial market yields, says director and co-founder Stephen Johnston.
The UN body granted its firm direct loan to Nigerian impact enterprise Babban Gona, which has since received commitments worth $23m from other senior debt lenders.
The firm’s latest credit fund benefitted from renewed interest among large LPs and Wall Street banks beating a retreat after their post-GFC ag debt binge.
Managing partner Adam Anders says the sector has hit a ‘sweet spot’ where traditional VC investors, corporates and real estate investors are all paying attention to the space.
The blended-finance impact vehicle was initiated by the UN and has made five investments with underlying commodities such as cocoa, hazelnuts and timber.