Guest Writer
‘Biologicals’, products based on the microbiome of a plant, are faster and cheaper to produce than pesticides. NewLeaf Symbiotics chief executive Tom Laurita says that this fast-moving area offers ample opportunity, but still has high risks.
Alan Briefel, executive director of the Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return Initiative, makes the financial case for animal welfare in factory farming.
Many corporate and institutional investments into Australian agriculture have not performed well compared to the returns achieved by the family farm, argues David Cornish, principal at Cornish Consultancy, an independent advisory firm. Here, he offers investors some answers.
All signs are pointing towards a consolidation of the food and agribusiness sector in India, according to Hemendra Mathur, managing director at a private equity firm focusing on investment into SMEs.
As institutions look to commit 20% of their portfolios to real assets, agri investing will gain popularity. But investment managers must be careful to ensure they have the right on-the-ground management, argues Detlef Schoen, head of farm investments at Aquila Capital.
Australian agribusinesses need equity to fund their growth and take advantage of promising market conditions. BDO national leader for food and agribusiness Anne Lockwood explains what they can do to attract investment.
Agricultural managers and consultants Brown & Co have been active in Central and Eastern Europe since 1998. Stephen Hall, who advises on investment strategy and sources opportunities, talks through the big players and the possible strategies in the eastern European country.
Two lawyers look in more detail at the new Australian foreign investment rules, and assess the likelihood of deals being rejected.
A recent survey in Italy on food labelling has highlighted that origin, especially Italian origin, is crucial to the country’s consumers. They are prepared to pay a premium for this information, too. Ilario Giangrossi and Chiara Bicci of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Milan office discuss the opportunities that arise from this end-customer focus.
Hemendra Mathur, a managing director at Small Enterprise Assistance Funds’ India Investment Advisors, highlights the three fundamentals investors into food services businesses in the country must bear in mind.