Fundraising

Laguna Bay Fund 2 has raised all its capital to date from Washington State Investment Board and is targeting A$750m in total.

Partner Richard Boos says the direct and indirect impacts of issues such as inflation and the Russia-Ukraine war mean raw materials for food products through to packaging and logistics have been affected.

QIC, New Forests and Macquarie Asset Management are taking different approaches to the nascent asset class, but there are common themes.

Tenacious Ventures will build on the A$35m close of its first fund, which surpassed its target and raised capital from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, among others.

QIC plans to raise at least A$500 million for the Queensland Natural Capital Fund, its first commingled agriculture and natural capital fund.

Roc Partners’ fund close shows that agriculture’s defensive characteristics are appealing to investors with inflation here and uncertainty on the horizon.

The Premium Food Fund has made five investments to date and is 40% committed, with another two or three deals over the next two years set to take it to full deployment.

ADM’S Benson Hill collaboration reflects a spirit of cooperation among food and agribusiness giants that Rabobank says is shaping new production markets.

To launch its first unlisted diversified fund, Duxton Capital, which has more than A$900m of AUM in agriculture, will build on a seed investment from an Australian institution.

Agriculture’s place in an evolving discussion about US industrial policy will become more clear in September, when the Biden administration will host a conference – the first of its kind in 50 years – focused on huger, nutrition and health.