Investing in family farmers and smallholders is the key to the "inclusive growth" which will drive the world's population out of hunger, says the FAO.
The NCREIF index shows a negative appreciation return and a flat market value per acre.
A report by Savills and Scottish Woodlands suggests forestry is performing well, with transaction values rising and timber prices providing a boost this year.
The UN body's report suggests $267bn of extra investment a year is necessary to lift an estimated 800 million out of poverty.
Increasing demand for meat and protein for animal feed is putting pressure on animal feed supply, according to Rabobank.
New Forests predicts the $100bn institutional investor market could double or even triple in size as the industry needs to double timber production by 2050.
While over 70% of all freshwater resources are used for agricultural production, the value of water has not been fully understood or appreciated.
Dairy prices are down and staying down, according to Rabobank, hitting profitability for farmers and investors. However, production for key regions like Australia and New Zealand is growing.
Compound annual growth rate 'is the most important performance metric' for institutional investors, according to Andrew Nicholas Smith, co-founder of OWLshares, an alternatives index developer, and author of a new farmland report.
At first glance, agriculture and agribusiness investment may seem like a very small niche within the alternatives market, but it's incredibly diverse. This Almanac supplement offers an in-depth look at a number of agri's sub-sectors.