Private Equity

Development finance institutions are becoming more proactive when it comes to agriculture and agribusiness, creating opportunities for the wider investment community.

The investment firm hired former Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan professionals to focus on real assets in its San Francisco office.

The commitment to the food processing and marketing-focused fund follows a $100m investment from Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board.

The fund has made over half of its investments this year in agriculture-related businesses, targeting developing economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Apollo is still building on its platform Pinnacle, which acquires and scales up agri inputs businesses, but will look opportunistically at other agribusiness assets with its latest fund.

The decision to appoint Stephen Thompson chief investment officer is a sign that the company will quickly build up its retail and downstream capacity.

Aberdeen senior investment manager Ryan Sullivan says growing investor interest should bolster permanent crop prices against dramatic falls.

DEG and African Capital Alliance joined 8 Miles in buying a minority stake in the Nigerian company, which aims to become a regional snack-food leader.

The hire, Scott McKinnon, joins other big-ag veterans to spearhead an aggressive growth strategy in the Americas, Australia and Russia.

Blue Road Capital's John Duryea talks first-time fundraising, and why LPs are turning to agribusinesses for co-investment opportunities.