Coöperatie VGZ commits €25 million to Van Lanschot Kempen’s SDG Farmland Fund
Coöperatie VGZ has made an initial commitment of €25 million to Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management’s Farmland Fund. With this investment, VGZ has chosen a globally diversified farmland strategy that combines regenerative agriculture with portfolio diversification and long-term value creation. The commitment represents VGZ’s inaugural investment into regenerative agriculture as part of its mission to promote biodiversity and healthy food.
The Kempen SDG Farmland Fund invests globally in farmland and agricultural businesses across developed markets. Since its inception in 2021, the fund has grown into an institutional platform with more than €500 million committed capital. The fund focuses on sustainable agriculture, combining financial value creation with measurable impact in areas such as biodiversity, soil health, water stewardship, food quality and food security.
The portfolio spans a broad range of crops, including olives, citrus, blueberries and macadamias, across multiple continents and farming systems. This combination of geographic, crop and climatic diversification reduces dependence on individual markets and harvest cycles while contributing to a more resilient portfolio. As a result, the strategy delivers three attributes increasingly sought by institutional investors: global diversification, measurable impact and long-term resilience.
VGZ has specifically chosen the Kempen SDG Farmland Fund for its combination of global diversification, active local engagement and measurable impact. With investments spanning multiple regions, climate zones and crop types, the fund offers access to one of the most diversified farmland portfolios in the institutional market. Global diversification across geographies, crops and climate zones reduces dependence on individual markets and harvest cycles, contributing to a more resilient portfolio. The fund’s active ‘boots on the ground’ approach, supported by specialist local partners, helps accelerate the transition towards regenerative agriculture, while farmland has the potential to provide inflation protection, capital preservation and further diversification within institutional portfolios.
This investment by VGZ reflects the growing interest among institutional investors in farmland as an asset class. At a time when investors are seeking inflation protection, diversification and measurable impact, farmland offers a distinctive combination of expected financial and societal value.
Richard Sanders, Head of Asset Allocation and Manager Selection, Coöperatie VGZ: ‘The investment in the Kempen SDG Farmland fund allows us to further two key sustainability goals of VGZ. We promote healthy living by supporting the transition towards regenerative agriculture with a focus on food for human consumption. The investment also provides tangible benefits to biodiversity and a stronger ecosystem. With Van Lanschot Kempen, we found a strong partner which treats sustainability as core to its long-term risk management philosophy. The Kempen SDG Farmland fund moreover ticks all the boxes: it offers global diversification, exposure to real assets and contributes to portfolio diversification.’
Richard Jacobs, Co-Head Kempen SDG Farmland Fund: ‘We are proud to welcome Coöperatie VGZ as a new partner. VGZ shares our conviction that financial value creation and positive impact can go hand in hand. Together, we can contribute to building a more resilient and sustainable food system.’
Arif Saad, Co-Head Kempen SDG Farmland Fund: ‘From the outset, our discussions with Coöperatie VGZ were characterised by a shared vision on impact, quality and long-term value creation. We look forward to a long-term and fruitful partnership, and to the continued growth of this strategy.