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Farmland
A novel approach to optimizing a global farmland portfolio
Nuveen Natural Capital believes that a globally diversified portfolio is the best way to invest in farmland assets. By diversifying the crop mix and geographies, investors can protect against external physical and market risk factors such as weather, crop price volatility and government intervention and regulation. But this leads to a question: what is the optimal way to construct a globally diversified farmland portfolio?
In this paper, we examine Nuveen Natural Capital’s approach to portfolio construction, outlining how we apply risk and optimization modeling to build risk-return efficient portfolios of farmland investments. We also demonstrate how an investor’s approach to currency risk has a material impact on regional allocations. Finally, we demonstrate that there are material allocation differences in optimal portfolios depending on whether an investor’s investment objective is to maximize cash yield, total return or both.
In Infrastructure Investor’s May 2025 Energy Transition report, Joost Bergsma, global head of clean energy for Nuveen Infrastructure, discusses why investors are continuing to show interest in renewables, even as certain economies and technologies encounter turbulence and power price risk.
With tariffs on U.S. imports of Canadian goods looming, we analyze the potential impacts on lumber markets and benefits for regions with untapped production capacity.
Private Credit, a nascent and rising asset class for wealth portfolios but one that is close to ubiquitous amongst institutional investors, can offer stable, high yielding returns and reduced volatility compared to traditional fixed income.
A word on risk
As an asset class, agricultural investments are less developed, more illiquid, and less transparent compared to traditional asset classes. Agricultural investments will be subject to risks generally associated with the ownership of real estate-related assets, including changes in economic conditions, environmental risks, the cost of and ability to obtain insurance, and risks related to leasing of properties.
Nuveen, LLC provides investment solutions through its investment specialists.
As an asset class, agricultural investments are less developed, more illiquid, and less transparent compared to traditional asset classes. Agricultural investments will be subject to risks generally associated with the ownership of real estate-related assets, including changes in economic conditions, environmental risks, the cost of and ability to obtain insurance, and risks related to leasing of properties.
Nuveen, LLC provides investment solutions through its investment specialists.
