The AgReturn Blog

We've Moved

2012-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

The AgReturn Team will now be blogging at our new blog, www.InAlternatives.com which offers insights and ideas on alternative investments from IIR's Finance Division.

Please look for our updates at Inalternatives.

What We Learned from World Water Day (WWD) 2012

2012-03-26T08:42:00.001-07:00

Last week, on March 22nd, the world celebrated World Water Day, which was initially launched in 1993. This year the focus was on Water and Food Security: The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry, the 2012 campaign was the biggest ever of its history.

Below we've rounded up a list of interesting WWD articles and facts to help guide your WaterReturns and water driven investment strategies:

Harnessing the bacteria naturally occurring in water and using solar energy are just two innovations that may help bring clean drinking water to the world's poor. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with water scarcity, the UN estimates.

WRI partnered with several businesses to develop new tools and resources to collect global water data. WRI’s Aqueduct project aims to meet the growing demand for information about present water supply and future risks. Launched last fall, with support from GE, Goldman Sachs, and others, Aqueduct collects, combines, and maps comprehensive data on water and related risks for businesses and investors.

Calculate your own water footprint.

Try the NatGeo interactive map on the water footprint of U.S. consumption.

Meet Australian farmer Laurie Arthur farms 10,000 acres, using the same amount of water as a city of 40,000 to produce food for 100,000.

“The emerging market is taking off right now,” said Steven Falci, head of strategy development for sustainable investment at Kleinwort Benson Investors, an Irish investment firm that has been in the water market for more than a decade.

Infographics and Maps:

Populations without Access to Sanitation Coverage

Populations without Access to Drinking Water

Water footprint of twelve selected commodities

Water footprint per inhabitant for 132 nations

Infographic Video: How To Solve The World’s Water Crisis

Last Opportunity to Register: AgReturn San Francisco March 13-15, 2012

2012-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

This is your last chance to register for next week’s groundbreaking Agriculture and Water Investment Conference, AgReturn San Francisco, March 13-15th.

Secure your place now to ensure you don’t miss out on discussions surrounding the opportunities in agriculture assets, agribusiness equities, farmland plays and primary production innovation.

Seasoned veterans such as John Denniston of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Oliver Flake of the USDA, Angelos Dassios of Paine + Partners, Robert Anfuso of Summit Global Management, Jacqueline Herd of Monsanto, Andrew Ziolkowski of Cultivian Ventures and Michael Lassner of DuPont Agriculture Biotechnology will discuss tactics for navigating the shifting agriculture landscape.

Agenda highlights include novel panel discussions on water rights and conservation technology, private equity and venture strategies, diversifying ag portfolios, and opportunities in public verse private markets.

Don’t miss your chance partake in this innovative and thought provoking event!

Register now for three days of unrivaled networking, intensive education, and concrete investment opportunities in agriculture and water.

We'll see you there!

To register for the conference, visit www.AgReturnSanFran.com. Attendees can register for all three days at one low price or make the choice to attend the Agriculture 2.0 Symposium or Main Conference only.

Global Agribusiness: How to Stir a Sleeping Giant

2012-03-06T07:22:00.001-08:00

Law Firm’s Global Agri-Biz Practice Head Connects ALL the Dots in AgWire Interview

By Marc Dresner, IIR

Joshua Hofheimer, an attorney with Sidley Austin LLP and coordinator of the firm’s global agribusiness practice, isn’t the first to refer to the sector as a sleeping giant.

But he is among an exclusive handful of experts capable of connecting the dots—and the players—necessary to stir global agribusiness from its slumber.

Couple population growth and resource scarcity—they’re not making any more land or water—with undervalued assets, under-production and runaway technological innovation and you have a compelling investment equation.

So why hasn’t the global agribusiness market rocketed off? Well, the math isn’t as simple as it seems.

Hofheimer noted CropLife estimates time-to-market—from discovery to commercialization—of a biotech trait is about 13 years, the cost has risen to approximately $130 million per trait and the regulatory timeframe has doubled to roughly four years.

In addition, there’s a coverage deficiency that’s impeding the flow of venture capital to where it’s needed.

Joshua Hofheimer

“We are still fragmented when you start to look at the inflection points or the intersection between technology and what some people call clean tech and how that influences or overlaps with agriculture in certain areas and the life sciences,” said Hofheimer. “When you start to integrate those different segments into a business or into a business model, the research coverage breaks down because it becomes fragmented.”

Ah, but therein lies the opportunity. Hofheimer and his colleagues aren’t waiting for analysts to catch up; they’re matchmaking.

“When you bring together activists’ interests, entrepreneurial spirit, technology and commercial enterprise, that’s when you will see more and more exciting companies with new ideas that are going to have a really big and innovative impact in this market, and also have a beneficial impact on our environment,” Hofheimer told AgWire.

“I just want to be a part of it by helping to bring companies together and ideas together… We have a great platform for helping those companies to develop and mature, and for those bigger companies to compete on a global scale, and to help investors find and structure some really interesting opportunities,” he added.

In this episode of AgWire, Hofheimer provides a comprehensive overview of the global agribusiness frontier, including:

• Development and commercialization processes
• Global regulatory strategy
• Technological advancement and innovation
• Partnering opportunities and more…

Listen to this episode of AgWire: Part I & Part II

Download an interview transcript.

Editor’s note:Hear more from Josh Hofheimer in person. He’s chairing AgReturn San Francisco March 13-15. For more information or to register, click here.

ABOUT AGWIRE
AgWire is an executive interview series featuring the business leaders, investment experts, innovators and entrepreneurs at the forefront of the agriculture industry. Each episode explores the trends, technologies and drivers shaping the world of agriculture today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER
Marc Dresner is IIR's sr. editor and special communication project lead. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the market research industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

Why Attend AgReturn San Francisco 2012?

2012-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

° Diversify your portfolio
° Hedge against inflation
° Gain access to exclusive content for innovators and investors
° Expand your network
° Explore opportunities in water rights and technology
° Strengthen your knowledge of need-to-know investment themes

AgReturn San Francisco 2012 is a unique kind of agriculture investment conference--one that embraces the surrounding themes of agriculture, real assets, and scarcity-driven investments.

This event delivers comprehensive strategy discussions on everything from public equities to innovations in precision technology, to mature markets farmland plays, water rights and efficiency.

Building upon the past attendance of over 250 investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders, attendees this year includes foreign and institutional investors.

To see a sample of companies who have attended in the past, click here.
To see full program details, click here to download the brochure.

Weaving together investment themes of global farmland and commodities as well as agribusiness equities, and innovations in conservation technology, this invigorating forum is a must-attend event.

Who Attends AgReturn events?

√ Private equity, hedge fund, and commodities investors
√ Impact investors
√ Pension funds, endowments, foundations
√ Food and agriculture corporate leaders
√ Venture capitalists
√ Food and agriculture
√ Family offices, high net-worth individuals, angel investors
√ Agribusiness industry professionals
√ Service providers to all of the above

For further agenda details, information about our speaker forum and to register click here.

AgReturn San Francisco: Register by this Friday and save up to $200

2012-02-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

We wanted to let you know that an updated brochure is now available online for AgReturn San Francisco. Be sure to check out our brand new sessions and prestigious speaker additions. To see the most up to date agenda, please download the latest brochure here.

AgReturn San Francisco is a unique agriculture investment conference--one that embraces the surrounding themes of agriculture, real assets, and scarcity-driven investments. Join us, March 13th-15th, for three full days of senior level discussion focused on agriculture investment opportunities in mature markets and how best to take advantage of this rapidly growing sector.

Register by this Friday, February 17th to save $200!

The conference will weave together investment themes of global farmland and commodities as well as agribusiness and agrifood equities, water, and innovations in conservation technology.

AgReturn San Francisco presents sophisticated discussions on:

• investment strategies to combat global shortages in water and food
• investment strategies for water rights and disruptive water technologies
• valuation methods for vetting agtech and agribusiness
• aquaculture trends and prospects
• pending policy and industry themes that will affect your business
• vertical investment strategies throughout the agriculture supply chain
• farmland plays in mature markets
• debt financing and debt facility tactics

This is a one-stop commercial marketplace for the industry.

Make sure AgReturn San Francisco is on your calendar for 2012. For further event details, click here.

Unique Opportunities for PE Investors at AgReturn San Francisco 2012

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

AgReturn San Francisco 2012 is a unique kind of agriculture investment conference--one that embraces the surrounding themes of agriculture, real assets, and scarcity-driven investments.

This year we are pleased to offer new content and networking sessions created specifically for Private Equity investors interested in the Agriculture Space at AgReturn San Francisco 2012!

Afternoon tracks are fully dedicated to Private Equity strategies, best practices and risk management.

Don’t miss: The following panels:

√ “Do Your Homework": – 2:00 pm, March 13th
Review best practices for evaluating agtech and agribusinesses to avoid failure and strategies for successful exits.

√ “The Role of Private Equity in Global Agribusiness”- 4:15 March 13th
How is private equity currently engaging with the global agribusiness regarding relationship management, deal identification, deal terms, valuation methods, best practices and exit strategies? Find out here.

Be there: Private Equity B2B Networking:

Take the time to meet your peers in this first-ever private equity mixer at AgReturn. Learn about successes and failures, take away strategy ideas, and most importantly, discover potential deals. Private Equity firms can sign up for this unique networking session on a first-come, first-served basis on-site.

Hear from: The following pioneering investors:

Angelos Dassios, Partner, Paine + Partners
Bruce Kahn, Director, Deutsche Bank
Brad Triebsch, Principal, Central Valley Fund
Stuart Rudick, Partner, Mindful Investors
Aaron Enz, Partner, Watershed Capital

To see the full agenda and speaker faculty, please download the brochure here.

This is a one-stop commercial marketplace for the industry. Make sure AgReturn San Francisco is on your calendar for 2012.

We look forward to seeing you in March!

Sponsor
Get involved in AgReturn. Make your presence known by building your customized sponsorship package today. For more information please contact Terri Sobol at +1 646-895-7473 or tsobol@iirusa.com

Venture Capital Investors at AgReturn San Francisco 2012

2012-02-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

AgReturn San Francisco 2012 is a unique kind of agriculture investment conference--one that embraces the surrounding themes of agriculture, real assets, and scarcity-driven investments. Discover a myriad of opportunities along the liquidity spectrum, including mature markets farmland, agribusiness equities, and primary production innovations at this event in March.

This year we are pleased to offer new content and networking sessions created specifically for Venture Capital investors!

Afternoon tracks fully dedicated to Venture Capital investment strategies, best practices and risk management.

Don’t miss: The following panels:

√ “Case Studies: Chart the Successful Exit of a Venture Backed Sustainable Agriculture
Technology": – 2:00 pm, March 13th
Learn from a successful innovator who embraced the sector and found success. Deal: enix Acquisition.

√ “What’s Next? Presenting the New Class of Agriculture Technologies”- 3:15 March 13th
An active venture investor moderates a panel of entrepreneurs who will discuss navigating the US farm system, securing financing, working with farmers, patent process and more. Learn how emerging agtech is being adapted and integrated into the industry right now.

Learn: From the following thought leaders:

John Denniston, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
Scott Uknes, In and Out Licensing Lead, Bayer CropScience
Derek Norman, Investment Manager, Syngenta Ventures
Chris Berkner, President, PureSense
Spencer Maughan, Vice President, Venrock
Andrew Williamson, Director, Physic Ventures

Be there: VC/Entrepreneur Speed Networking Reception

Presenting a unique speed networking session for early-stage agtech entrepreneurs and venture capital investors at AgReturn San Francisco! Slots are available for 12 entrepreneurs and 12 investors. Tables will rotate to maximize opportunities for all involved. Participants must be registered with the conference and will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. DEADLINE: REGISTER ONLINE BY FEBRUARY 21ST, 2012.

For further agenda details, information about our speaker forum and to register click here.

Agriculture: Inside an Evolving Asset Class

2012-02-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

AgWire Interview Series Takes a Fresh Look at Ag’s Investment Status

By Marc Dresner, IIR

Agrarian societies have been around since the Bronze Age; yet from an investment perspective, agriculture remains something of a novelty—albeit one that’s attracting significant attention of late.

Since things like soil, water, husbandry, etc., would make for unlikely passing fads, it’s a safe bet that agriculture as an investment asset class may be coming into its own.

At least that’s John Chu’s assessment.

The managing director of institutional equity research for agri-industry at AltaCorp Capital noted that as far as the S&P goes, agriculture has historically been more or less a corral of fertilizers and chemicals.

“There really wasn’t enough in the agriculture space to qualify it as an independent sector for a particular focus,” Chu told AgWire.

But new player proliferation amidst consolidating bellwethers, technological innovation, and breakthroughs in productivity and sustainability are stirring an otherwise commoditized giant.

Add opportunities in the BRICs to the mix and the agriculture investment equation becomes pretty appealing.

In this episode of AgWire, Chu surveys the factors conspiring to transform agriculture’s asset class status.

Listen to this episode of AgWire here.

Read a transcript of the interview here.

Editor’s note: AgWire is produced by AgReturn, a global conference series focused on the technologies, companies and investment strategies on the cutting edge of agriculture.

Next up: AgReturn San Francisco, March 13-15! For more information or to register, click here.

ABOUT AGWIRE
AgWire is an executive interview series featuring the business leaders, investment experts, innovators and entrepreneurs at the forefront of the agriculture industry. Each episode explores the trends, technologies and drivers shaping the world of agriculture today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER
Marc Dresner is an IIR USA communication lead specializing in audience engagement. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the market research industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

AgReturn San Francisco Presents: Joshua Hofheimer, Counsel, Sidley Austin LLP

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

We are proud to present, our esteemed colleague Joshua Hofheimer, Counsul at Sidley Austin LLP. Joshua will be leading the charge as Conference Chairman at AgReturn SanFrancisco in March 2012.

We look forward to his stewardship throughout the conference as we discuss the emerging opportunities in water and agriculture.

In addition, we are excited to announce that we will be releasing a podcast with Joshua later on this month. Given Joshua’s extensive background in agtech development, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, crop technology and business development strategies for agribusiness, the podcast promises to be an insightful stimulus towards the larger AgReturn dialogue.

Be sure to come back after the 21^st of February to hear Joshua’s podcast and get a taste of what's to come at AgReturn San Francisco!

- The AgReturn Team

Speaker Spotlight! AgReturnSan Francisco presents:

Joshua Hofheimer – Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP

JOSHUA T. HOFHEIMER combines more than a decade of corporate and commercial legal practice with the experience having run a public company to bring his clients focused, practical counsel to help them grow their business and maximize their value and returns.

His practice focuses on representing clients in agriculture, life sciences and information technology sectors. Mr. Hofheimer’s work spans a broad array of technology, intellectual property and commercial transactions ranging from agricultural technology to medical devices and pharmaceuticals, software, Internet and new media transactions and includes developing and implementing business strategies for commercialization of multiple intellectual property platforms.

Notably, he represented Monsanto Company in the ground-breaking 2007 Yield and Stress Collaboration Agreement with BASF Plant Sciences LLC to develop high yield and stress tolerant transgenic plant products.

He also has negotiated research, funding and commercialization agreements and technology spin-outs, as well as developed strategies to exploit proprietary products growing out of the research programs of agri-tech and bio-tech clientele.

From 2008-2010, Mr. Hofheimer was the CEO/Managing Director of Australia’s first publicly listed ag-biotech companies, Hexima Limited (HXL:ASX). While at Hexima, Mr. Hofheimer led the company’s successful effort to forge a commercial path for its disease control platform, entering into a development and commercialization agreement with Dupont company, Pioneer Hi-Bred. The company established further commercial relationships with leading agribusinesses, Monsanto and Bayer Crop Science, and Australian research centers.

Mr. Hofheimer also currently serves on the board of directors of the Australian Center for Plant Functional Genomics, advising on international commercial and strategic development.

To register, visit www.AgReturnSanFran.com. Attendees can register for all three days at one low price or make the choice to attend the Agriculture 2.0 Symposium or Main Conference only. Brochures can be downloaded online.

And don't forget to follow us @agreturn and join us on LinkedIn and Facebook, where you can network all year-round with more of your AGReturn colleagues.

Ag Chat Spotlights Investing at the Intersection of Agriculture and Technology

2011-11-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Smart, Smaller Scale Plays Land Private Equity Fund Comfortably in the Catbird Seat

By Marc Dresner, IBC Life Sciences

Michael Curry, managing partner at Investeco Capital, has carved out a plum investment niche in Canada’s burgeoning “intelligent agriculture” market for his firm and its clients.

While big private equity funds tend to concentrate on big deals with big companies to the tune of tens of millions, Investeco frequently takes minority stakes ($2-3 million) in early-mid-stage, modest players ($7-10 million rev.) who turn a tidy profit on a promising product with substantial growth potential.

“We don’t have a lot of competition for deal flow,” Curry told Ag Chat. “There is so little capital looking into these areas in Canada that the door is open when we go to see these companies.”

“These entrepreneurs are doing very well; they’re not prepared to sell half the company at this stage,” Curry added. “We like people who think long-term and not in short cycles. These businesses have to have compelling reasons to be around for a long time.”

Investeco’s fund pours expansion capital into agricultural and environmentally sustainable interests in four main areas: water, energy, food and technology.

According to Curry, the sweet spot often rests at the intersection of agriculture and technology: GPS navigation for tractors, variable rate application for seeding and fertilizer, UV water filtration, etc.

“To grow in a sustainable, economical manner going forward, [agribusiness is] going to have to increase yields and crops. We are going to have to use less energy doing so. We are going to have to use less water,” said Curry. “So we see tremendous opportunity in the marriage of technology and agriculture production.”

In this edition of Ag Chat, we’ll also explore:

• The trend toward de-commoditized, value-add food production

• The resurgence of local, resilient supply chains

• Why Wal-Mart is now selling organic milk…

Listen to Part 1.

Listen to Part 2.

Download the transcript.

ABOUT AG CHAT
Ag Chat is an executive interview series featuring the business experts, investors and entrepreneurs at the forefront of sustainable agriculture. Each episode explores the trends, technologies and drivers shaping the world of sustainable agriculture today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER
Marc Dresner works closely with IBC Life Sciences as a communication lead. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the market research industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

Massively Underpriced Post-Soviet Agriculture Market Promises Huge Returns

2011-10-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

“AG Chat” Explores Eastern Europe's Enormous Investment Potential

For nearly 20 years, George Rohr and his partners have been gradually, meticulously nudging a sleeping giant—and cultivating what may be the most fertile agriculture investment opportunity on the planet.

Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, NCH Capital (Rohr is co-founder and president) began investing in Russia, Ukraine and post-Soviet Eastern Europe, whose black-earth belt ranks among the world’s greatest—and least optimized—agricultural resources.

“There is a massive shortage of capital that prevails across asset classes, across the geography and across eleven time zones,” said Rohr, who noted NCH has concentrated on bringing “some of the most productive farmland in the world back into productive capacity.”

NCH is today one of the largest Western investors of institutional capital in farmland and agribusiness assets in the region. Rohr says the quality of these assets wasn't the only attraction; they’re also ridiculously undervalued.

Before the Bolsheviks, this land constituted the Old World’s breadbasket. And after being mismanaged and relatively neglected for the better part of the 20th Century under the Soviets, Rohr says the new, progressive governments under whose stewardship this agricultural treasure fell opened the door to Western investors.

But Western investors have been slow to throw in, in cases preferring to cast lots with other emerging markets like Brazil and China—in no small measure due to innacuracies perpetuated by Western media, according to Rohr.

Consequently, NCH has been able—by direct purchase or lease—to acquire, aggregate and operationalize roughly 700,000 hectares of prime farmland in Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries at a fraction of their actual value.

In this candid “Ag Chat” interview, George Rohr will:

• Outline NCH's approach to agriculture investment in Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe

• Provide an overview of infrastructure and transport issues

• Address misconceptions with regard to property rights, transparency, governance, etc. facing prospective investors, and much more...

“You are going to see increasing diversification in [Russia and Ukraine] away from natural gas, oil and other harder natural resources as a source of foreign revenue toward agricultural commodities. This sector really is the sleeping giant for both countries,” said Rohr.

“There are great returns to be made from riding the elevator from the fourth subbasement to the ground floor,” he added, noting the market is maturing, and opportunities like this don't come often or last forever.

Listen to Part 1.

Download a transcript of Part 1.

Listen to Part 2.

Download a transcript of Part 2.

ABOUT AG CHAT
Ag Chat is an executive interview series featuring the business experts, investors and entrepreneurs at the forefront of sustainable agriculture. Each episode explores the trends, technologies and drivers shaping the world of sustainable agriculture today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER
Marc Dresner works closely with IBC Life Sciences as a communication lead. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the marketing research industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

How To Invest In A Changing Climate—Literally

2011-07-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

AG Chat Interview Series Talks Global Warming Investment Strategy

Climate change has long been a controversial topic, despite consensus among the overwhelming majority of the world’s climatologists that this phenomenon is genuine.

But when investors begin creating strategies around climate change forecasts, you know the verdict is definitely in.

To wit: As part of Deutsche Bank’s Climate Change Advisory service, Director and Senior Investment Analyst Bruce Kahn maintains an investment horizon of one to two decades based on anticipated global warming trends.

Bruce Kahn

In this episode of AG Chat, Kahn discusses the potential impact of climate change on global agriculture markets and what investors need to consider when entering these markets.

We’ll also look at emerging markets, consumption trends and various macroeconomic factors that have conspired to create enormous opportunities in water, food, feed and fuel.

Listen to this episode of AG Chat here.

Download a transcript of our interview here.

And be sure to tune in next week, when AG Chat features Dave Smardon, President and CEO of Bioenterprise Corporation, who takes us on an in-depth tour of the agricultural technology sector—which appears poised to break out in spectacular fashion!

ABOUT AG Chat

AG Chat is an executive interview series featuring the business experts, investors and entrepreneurs at the forefront of sustainable agriculture. Each episode explores the trends, technologies and drivers shaping the world of sustainable agriculture today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/INTERVIEWER
Marc Dresner works closely with IBC Life Sciences as a communication lead with a background in trade journalism and marketing. He is the former executive editor of Research Business Report, a confidential newsletter for the marketing research and consumer insights industry. He may be reached at mdresner@iirusa.com. Follow him @mdrezz.

Prediction: Significant Global Water Shortage by 2030

2011-07-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

Access to water is crucial. A constantly increasing global population and economy is increasing demand on a valuable resource that grows more scarce every year.

Last week's "declaration of famine confirms that the Horn of Africa emergency is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world now," according to C.A.R.E., this comes at the same time when food prices and rising fuel costs have skyrocketed and the global economy is riddled in crisis.

According to a 2010 report from McKinsey Quaterly, there will be a significant shortage of water by 2030, given the current rates of usage by agriculture.

You can click here to read the full report: The Water Imperative - McKinsey Quarterly

How will the water scarcity challenge be addressed?
How will it affect the market?
What new agricultural processes and technologies are available to remedy and decrease water usage?

Valerie M. Russo is a Senior Social Media Strategist on the AgReturn team, with a technology, anthropology, marketing and publishing business acumen. She is a published poet and also maintains a literary blog. She may be reached at vrusso@iirusa.com. Follow her @Literanista.

2011-06-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

We're launching a new podcast interview series here at AgReturn called Ag Chat!

We invite you to join us on Wednesdays throughout every month for podcasts featuring in-depth interviews with agribusiness experts, investors and entrepreneurs at the forefront of sustainable agriculture and the water sector.

Back in March, we interviewed Ejnar Knudsen, co-portfolio manager of the Agriculture Fund at Passport Capital – one of the top hedge funds in the world.

Based on the success of that podcast, we've decided to launch a whole series dedicated to hearing what the experts have to say -- so stay tuned for more great interviews to take the conversation to new heights!

Since our blog is fairly new, we'd like to to kick off Ag Chat today with our first-ever podcast:

Ejnar Knudsen Talks Shop: An Ag Chat Podcast - Knudsen explains why we’re at the early stages of a massive agriculture market reset – in step with an iterative, 38-year cycle – and the impact of quantitative easing in the ag sector, as well as how a “silent tsunami” of global proportions poses new challenges and fresh opportunities to agriculture investors.

Click here to listen to the interview or download the transcript.

Valerie M. Russo is a Senior Social Media Strategist on the AgReturn team, with a technology, anthropology, marketing and publishing business acumen. She is a published poet and also maintains a literary blog. She may be reached at vrusso@iirusa.com. Follow her @Literanista.

AG Economics 101: Tom Eisenhauer of Bonnefield Financial

2011-06-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

Tom Eisenhauer of Bonnefield Financial provides an overview on how agricultural economics is different than other industries and the implications for investors.

Valerie M. Russo is a Senior Social Media Strategist on the AgReturn team, with a technology, anthropology, marketing and publishing business acumen. She is a published poet and also maintains a literary blog. She may be reached at vrusso@iirusa.com. Follow her @Literanista.

Welcome to AgReturn!

2011-06-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to the new AgReturn blog! I am thrilled to have a place where people can come year-round to talk about the issues and stories that are important to all of us. I hope that this will evolve into a platform and sounding board for innovative ideas, strategies, success stories, connections, and as a call to action for the ag investment sector.

We will be sharing our own thoughts, and as we move forward each of the dedicated AgReturn team members will be introducing themselves. We will also be producing podcasts and written interviews with some of our expert conference contributors as well as publishing original content from guest bloggers on the topics of climate change, farmland strategy, commodities analysis, new technologies and much more. If you are interested in contributing, feel free to give us a shout!

I want this to be a fun and informative space to talk about anything and everything that has an impact on the sustainable natural resources portfolio—from the riverbank to The World Bank. Let’s get started!

Kate Westfall is the director of the AgReturn conference series, AgReturn Latin America and the InfraReturn Investment Forum. Kate holds a Master’s Degree in Food Culture and Communications from La Università degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region and currently resides in New York City. Follow her @agrikate