‘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.
The insurer’s $13bn agricultural portfolio head Barry Bogseth sees lending to agriculture as a long-term investment that helps offset MetLife’s liabilities.
James McCandless, managing director of UBS AgriVest, talks about current risks in the US farmland market and what the firm focuses on in its due diligence.
China’s land laws require careful navigation, says former Warburg Pincus Asia-Pacific chairman and Black Soil founder Chang Sun.
Alan Briefel, executive director of the Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return Initiative, makes the financial case for animal welfare in factory farming.
Getting the right information on an agricultural asset like soil and water quality, and then figuring out how much it is worth, takes careful investigation, and mistakes can be made all too easily.
The chief operating officer for the Danforth Plant Science Center talks about how to attract the best start-ups from around the world.
AeroFarms chief executive David Rosenberg talks vertical farming, data science and why most indoor farming start-ups are bound to fail.
The US market for legal cannabis products grew by up to 90 percent last year, but legal as well as reputational concerns continue to keep professional investors at bay.
It’s not all doom and gloom in the region’s agri sector, as risks and opportunities vary wildly by country.