Agriculture as an Alternative Investment: The Status Quo and Future Perspectives

Under the pressure of climate and social changes, agriculture is called to play a fundamental role in the world food challenge of the next few decades. A severe reduction of arable land and water scarcity combined with a growing food demand, changes in the dietary preferences in many countries and, more recently, a growing threat to food security and logistics from supply chains interruptions and global trade fragmentation, all require the implementation of processes, techniques, and innovations able to increase productivity and make a better use of scarce resources.Against this backdrop, a growing number of investors and asset managers have started looking at agriculture as an interesting investment theme to exploit the long-term strategic opportunities emerging from technological innovation and social changes. The industry is undergoing a process of transformation driven, on the one hand, by the emergence of new data and technologies that promise enhancing process efficiency and improve yields and, on the other hand, by an increased attention on the GHG emissions of agricultural processes and the impact of farmland on climate change, water and land scarcity. All these factors call for a radical rethinking of many agriculture business models. This book provides a detailed overview and analysis of those new technologies with the greatest potential to disrupt agriculture products and processes by improving productivity and the management of food loss and waste, making a more efficient and sustainable use of resources and enhancing food security. Then, it discusses the implications for investors and asset managers, starting with an assessment of the status quo of agriculture investing and providing a thorough description of the agriculture asset class with an emphasis on its distinctive characteristics and the innovations in the technological processes used in agriculture and farming with the greatest potential to obtain long-term sustainable returns.