Andrew Jenner CEO of Astra Investimentos, announced today the launch of the Astra Agro Fund L.P. The fund has signed a strategic advisory agreement with Rabobank Brasil and will invest primarily in privately held agribusiness companies in Brazil. [Jenner] says recent global and local trends in food staples make the commodity-rich country a compelling investment opportunity.

"Large reserves of available land, water, and labor, and a stable political climate leave Brazil best positioned to be the primary provider of agricultural commodities and food products into the future," says Mr. Jenner. "Astra Investimentos has a team of dedicated, Brazilian based portfolio managers, and with our strategic advisory agreement with Rabobank Brasil, we have unrivaled access to the best opportunities in this growing sector. The objective of the fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation created by global food demand and Brazil´s competitive advantage."

"Already one of the world's top agricultural producers, Brazil is uniquely positioned to benefit from growing trends in world geographic and demographic trends," states Mr. Jenner. "A long history of agricultural production, and a mandated ethanol blending program extending back 30 years, gives the country an ample population of experienced technicians, agronomists, managers, and manual labor to draw on for future growth." To put Brazil's growth potential in perspective, it is interesting to note that the country has already become the number one exporter or sugar, beef, poultry, coffee, frozen orange juice, and ethanol, and the second biggest exporter of soybeans. It has achieved this while using only 13% of its arable land which does not even include the Amazon biome, which private industry and the government have taken active steps to protect. In comparison, the US is currently using 77% of all its arable land and urban growth is actually pushing planted areas out of production. Furthermore, with large reserves of freshwater, Brazil does not face the traditional agricultural constraints of lack of land and water.

There are three trends driving high prices and growing demand for agricultural commodities; food, feed, and fuel. Every year, the world has some 73 million more mouths to feed, with the population of the planet expected to reach 9 Billion in 40 years. To meet the demands of this growing population, food production must double by 2050 and innovative strategies are needed to help combat hunger, which already affects more than 1 billion people in the world. The growing incomes of emerging markets including China, India, and Brazil are also driving consumers to eat more protein further increasing the demand for grains for use as animal feed. Finally, the use of corn, wheat, and sugarcane in producing bio-fuels is set to continue to compete for acreage with conventional production adding upward pressure to already high prices. With an outstanding growing climate, and vast reserves of land and water, Brazil is poised to become the single most important food producer in the world.