Middle East/Africa

Rapid execution of investments designed to enhance Abu Dhabi’s food chain resiliency reflects evolution in a public-private partnership model that bodes well for ag-focused private capital.

Executive director Gil Adotevi describes how ADQ is supporting production of crops in Abu Dhabi and the role it is carving out in global supply chains.

A final close is expected within months, 8F Asset Management said, with further funds focused on the Middle East and China to follow soon.

The land-based aquaculture company will establish facilities in Abu Dhabi, China and Brunei as it targets to produce 260,000 tonnes of salmon per annum.

The firm is close to fully divesting its 2008-vintage Agri-Vie Fund I, while its $146 million successor vehicle is now close to being fully deployed.

The $750m vehicle follows the same buy-and-build strategy of its $433m predecessor and is likely to attract LPs from Europe and the Middle East as well as North America.

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.

The €100 million impact fund for smallholder farmers is backed by commercial banks and a host of government-backed development finance entities.

Mitsubishi Corporation has selected Trendlines Agrifood to be its local partner as it looks for emerging agricultural technologies and start-ups in Israel.

Fonds Souverain de Djibouti director general Mamadou Mbaye says fisheries, indoor ag and agribusiness processing are among markets that could eventually be well-suited to investments of between $50m and $100m.