Clare Pennington

US alternative investment firm Bain Capital has exited its majority share investment in Brakes Group, selling it on to US food distributing giant Sysco.

The sovereign wealth fund's Indian warehouse portfolio company, Star Agri, is looking for more capital.

The Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper promised the appointment of an agricultural commissioner to the Australian competition regulator.

The Global Environment Fund is also raising a African Sustainable Forestry Fund II, which could hold a first close later this year.

Owning a forestry asset and integrating carbon and timberland management can often generate a higher internal rate of return than a pure forestry strategy, says New Forests chief executive officer David Brand.

The investment, made in exchange for equity in Obtala's Mozambique forestry operation and off-take agreements, included a commitment for over $1 million by a US private investor named as George Miller.

All 43 purchased land parcels are thought to be buy-and-lease farmland assets.

The mid-market private investment firm has bought Fuerst Day Lawson in partnership with the latter's chief executive, Mac Mardi.

The agribusiness-focused fund has financed American Botanicals' purchase of fungi producer Aloha Medicinals.

The project will focus on cisgenic engineering, which crosses genes between closely related organisms and could provide solutions to diseases ravaging southern Italy’s olive trees.