Vinny Vucago of FS Sustainability in Australia reports La Caisse backs GO.FARM in $330m farmland push:
Canadian institutional investor La Caisse has partnered with
Australian agricultural investment manager GO. FARM to launch a $330
million investment platform targeting permanent horticulture assets,
underscoring growing institutional demand for Australian farmland.The
partnership will see La Caisse commit $300 million in equity alongside a
further $30 million investment from GO. FARM, while also taking a
minority stake in the Melbourne-based manager.La Caisse executive
vice president and head of infrastructure and sustainability Emmanuel
Jaclot said Australia remained an attractive destination for long-term
agricultural investment.“Australia combines world class
agricultural resources, strong export markers and significant land
transformation opportunities,” Jaclot said.“Through this
partnership with GO. FARM, we are backing a proven operator with deep
local expertise and a strong commitment to responsible agriculture.
Together, we aim to build a diversified platform positioned to capture
attractive opportunities across a sector that is becoming increasingly
important to global food production.”Founded in 2013, GO.FARM
manages approximately $1.6 billion in assets and specialises in
developing underutilised land and water assets into institutional-grade permanent horticulture operations.Founder and managing director Liam Lenghan said the partnership
reflected increasing global appetite for agriculture as an institutional
asset class.“Our focus has always been on finding the
opportunity, solving the challenges and executing the fundamentals well
by building great teams and capability, back by data-driven insights and
good science,” Lenaghan said.“This partnership is built on
alignment, not just capital. As global institutions seek exposure to
agriculture, access to investment-grade assets remains constrained.”The
investment builds on La Caisse’s growing sustainable land management
presence in Australia and GO. FARM’s existing institutional investor
base, which includes Australian Retirement Trust, and comes as global
investors increasingly allocate capital to food production, natural
capital and climate resilient real assets.
Last week, La Caisse issued a press release stating it has partnered with GO.FARM to launch AUD 330 million platform to invest in Australian permanent crops:
ABOUT LA CAISSE
For more than 60 years, La Caisse has invested with a dual
mandate: generate optimal long-term returns for its 48 depositors, who
represent over six million Quebecers, while contributing to Québec’s
economic development.As a global investment group, La Caisse is
active in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real
estate and private credit. As at December 31, 2025, its net assets
totalled CAD 517 billion. Learn more at LaCaisse.com, LinkedIn and Instagram.La
Caisse is a registered trademark of Caisse de dépôt et placement du
Québec that is protected in Canada and other jurisdictions and licensed
for use by its subsidiaries.ABOUT GO.FARM
GO.FARM is a leading Australian agricultural investment and
development firm, having managed over 96,000 hectares of farmland and
129,000 megalitres of water across New South Wales, Victoria, and
Tasmania, with approx. $1.6B of assets under management. The company
focuses on transforming underutilised agricultural land into productive,
sustainable, and high-value assets. GO.FARM is committed to delivering
strong financial returns for its investors, while enhancing the social
and environmental fabric of its regional communities.
This is an excellent partnership for La Caisse in Australia to develop a platform focused on investing in high-value permanent horticulture
in Australia.
GO.FARM is a leading Australian agricultural investment and
development firm and this partnership will allow La Caisse to bolster its presence in Australia’s burgeoning farmland industry.
You can read their story here to understand more about them:
We identify underutilised and undercapitalised Australian agricultural
assets and transform them to highest and best use. Our expertise lies in
landuse change, asset reconfiguration and investment in people,
technology, productivity and sustainability. We have successfully
executed strategies across greenfield developments, brownfield
reversions, rainfed and irrigated farming systems, annual crops and
permanent plantings across multiple geographies.
As stated above, the investment builds on La Caisse’s growing sustainable land management
presence in Australia and GO. FARM’s existing institutional investor
base, which includes Australian Retirement Trust, and comes as global
investors increasingly allocate capital to food production, natural
capital and climate resilient real assets.
Sustainable land management is a big part of La Caisse’s sustainable investing approach.
Recall, last year, La Caisse invested US$200 million in QIC-backed Renewa to accelerate funding of land under clean energy infrastructure (see details here).
With this deal, the focus shifts to Australia where opportunities for investing in agricultural land are plentiful if you partner up with the right group.
GO.Farms specializes in transforming underutilized agricultural land into productive,
sustainable, and high-value assets.
With this deal, la Caisse joins PSP Investments which has a huge presence in Australia’s agricultural lands (a massive portfolio constructed one farm at a time) and OTPP which recently acquired a controlling interest in Mitolo Family Farms and also has a big Australian agribusiness portfolio.
What is the attraction to Australia’s farmland?
Emmanuel Jaclot, EVP and head of Infrastructure and Sustainability at La Caisse summed it up well: “Australia combines world-class agricultural resources, strong export
markets and significant land transformation opportunities.”
Real assets like timberland and farmland offer unique cash flows that are inflation-hedged and are not as highly correlated to real estate and infrastructure.
That, in a nutshell, is why these assets are attractive to institutional investors.
In other related news, Investment Executive reports La Caisse and Cinven will acquire Optio Group:
Quebec investment manager La Caisse says it has partnered with
international private equity firm Cinven to acquire U.K.-based Optio
Group, a specialty insurance managing general agent platform.Founded in 2018, Optio originates, underwrites and manages specialty
risk on behalf of more than 60 third-party capacity providers.Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Cinven and La Caisse say in a news release that they believe Optio
represents a “compelling investment opportunity” based on several
attractive characteristics.Martin Longchamps, La Caisse’s executive vice-president and head of
private equity and private credit, says Optio has a differentiated
platform serving complex insurance markets, a strong European base and
clear international growth potential.The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
Cinven and La Caisse issued a press release stating they will jointly acquire leading specialty MGA platform, Optio:
ABOUT CINVEN
Cinven is a leading international private equity firm focused on
building world-class global and European companies. Its funds invest in
six key sectors: Business Services, Consumer, Financial Services,
Healthcare, Industrials and Technology, Media and Telecommunications
(TMT). Cinven has offices in London, New York, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan,
Madrid and Luxembourg.Cinven takes a responsible approach towards
its portfolio companies, their employees, suppliers, local communities,
the environment and society.In this press release ‘Cinven’
means, depending on the context, any of or collectively, Cinven Holdings
Guernsey Limited, Cinven Partnership LLP, and their respective
Associates (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) and/or funds managed
or advised by any of the foregoing.For additional information on Cinven please visit www.cinven.com and www.linkedin.com/company/cinven/.
This was a deal that Cinven brought to Martin Longchamps at la Caisse and his team rightly jumped at the opportunity to acquire Optio, co-investing alongside long-time partner Cinven.
If you read that press release carefully, no doubt about it, Cinven did its homework here, knows Optio’s CEO Deepak Soni very well, and understands the company’s MGA platform inside out.
I invite my readers to read more about the Optio Group here. They clearly have deep sector expertise:
Optio
is a recognised leader in the specialist Managing General Agent (MGA)
space, combining deep sector expertise with a progressive,
technology-driven approach to underwriting. With a strong focus on niche
and complex risks, Optio brings together a team of experienced
professionals who deliver tailored solutions across a diverse portfolio,
including professional indemnity, contingency, cyber, and more. Their
agile structure, combined with robust data insight and underwriting
discipline, enables them to respond quickly to market needs while
maintaining strong capacity relationships. This positions Optio as a
trusted partner for brokers seeking specialist coverage and consistent
performance in a dynamic risk landscape.
Now it’s up to Cinven and La Caisse to help Optio grow during its next growth phase.
Alright, two big deals to cover from La Caisse on Monday that you should all be aware of.
Below, discover how GO.FARM is revolutionizing Australian agriculture with innovative and sustainable farming practices. From increasing productivity to reducing environmental impact, GO.FARM is at the forefront of transforming the future of farming. Learn about their advanced technologies, sustainable land management strategies, and commitment to building a greener tomorrow.
When you partner up with the right people, extraordinary things can happen. This family seems very much in tune with sustainable farming and their love for it shines through below.
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