Editor's View

A funding round for Sea Forests, backed by MIRA, demonstrates that investors are keen to find ESG-positive investments in agriculture even if they carry risk.

ABARES research has found that export exposure was ‘better for market resilience’ than turning inwards and shoring up local supply chains.

Several of the most talked-about topics feature in the five most popular stories from the first quarter of 2021.

Every 10th portion of protein consumed on Earth could be alternative by 2035, says Boston Consulting Group. Strategically placed investors may be in sight of very handsome returns.

The competition watchdog found no evidence that investors had manipulated markets, but regulation and transparency need to improve to provide more confidence to all participants.

Crowdfunder FarmTogether has identified a $1.1trn opportunity in the US within the $1m to $10m segment of the market, which it believes will appeal to institutional investors.

A huge cropping portfolio has hit the market in Australia, which will provide an indication of the true level of institutional appetite for farmland.

With goFARM, Primewest, MIRA and Roc Partners all either managing or vying for management of Vitalharvest Freehold Trust in the past 12 months, demand for Australian farmland assets remains high.

Stafford Capital Partners’ Stephen Addicott says NPS’s $150m commitment to the firm’s forestry fund could ‘underpin future commitments from other South Korean pensions.’

Hurdles remain, but opportunities in ESG investment, private credit and from foreign investors point to enormous potential in Australian agriculture.