Guest Writer

For those with a hearty appetite for risk, the rewards of investing in African agri can be enormous, says consultant Emma Cowan of Cardy-Brown. But be careful where you tread and with whom.

An SEC official speaking at PEI's CFO & COOs Forum last week indicated that the regulatory body would extend its review of the private equity industry to illiquid assets including timber and real estate, according to PFM's Nick Donato.

Emma Cowan, independent agribusiness consultant, describes the changing landscape for commodities amid a shift in biofuel and BRIC countries’ growth potential.

Pravin Chandrasekaran, managing director at OpalCrest, the global data science firm focused on the agribusiness value chain, gives his views on developments in 2014 and some predictions for 2015.

Marcus Meadows-Smith describes the turnaround of biopesticide company AgraQuest - sold to Bayer CropScience for $425m in 2012- during his time as chief executive.

Following the most contentious election in Brazil for a generation, Liquid Investments has published a white paper: 'Brazil: Victory Spells Opportunity’.

Agroforestry is a promising alternative to conventional, and damaging, agricultural systems, according to Patrick Worms, senior policy adviser at the World Agroforestry Centre.

Renee Cheung, an independent consultant, explains how to choose a suitable regenerative agriculture asset.

The need for growth and investment translates into an $800 million a year opportunity for the PE industry in India, according to Hemendra Mathur, managing director, SEAF India Investment Advisors.

Mergers and acquisitions volumes in Africa's poultry sector are low, but there are parts that warrant a closer look and Uganda is one of them, according to John Strak, honorary professor in food economics at Nottingham University and an agribusiness consultant.