debt

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.

The North Carolina-headquartered firm surpassed its hard-cap to close its distinct credit vehicle at $325m and took approximately $115m in co-investments.

The French asset manager could hit its €300m hard-cap if it continues fundraising, says president and CEO Michel Chabanel, but will instead prioritize launching its buyout and senior debt vehicles.

Senior managing director Marc Drouin says underused irrigation infrastructure helped make the C$204.5bn pension’s entry into European ag a highlight within natural resources deployments last year.

The C$204.5bn pension’s facility is secured by Flagship Pioneering-backed Indigo’s intellectual property and could be a first of its kind.

Debt commitment to ETG will allow the agricultural conglomerate to strengthen its food value chains which support more than 550,000 smallholder farmers in Africa alone.

Founder Craig Wichner says the organic farmland manager’s $175m portfolio can help meet ‘intense’ demand for high-quality ESG-related offerings.

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

Managing partner David Chattleton says larger pools of capital are ‘slowing coming back to agriculture’ after a few years away.