GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, November 30, 2021 – Sucafina, a leading sustainable Farm to Roaster coffee company, is today announcing the launch of a new business segment that will identify investments in early-stage food and agriculture (Food and Ag) companies at the forefront of sustainability and innovation.
Sucafina is pleased to partner with Stefano Rettore, a senior leader in the agrifood sector, to launch the agribusiness investment division.
The partnership will invest in companies that are developing innovative solutions at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and new consumer trends while, at the same time, creating superior returns for all stakeholders. It will focus on companies where it can contribute not only capital, but also its experience, network, and strategy. Company culture – especially in terms of people, values, and governance – is also key, given the long-term ambition to create a portfolio that will grow over time.
A significant challenge for the Food and Ag industry is to produce quality food for a growing population while reducing the impact on climate, protecting biodiversity, and supporting farmers' livelihoods.
“This shift from volumes to values is going to redefine the industry,” explains Rettore, the founder and CEO of LemanVentures, a privately held investment firm focused on enabling the transition from more to better food.
The partnership combines Sucafina’s leadership position in the coffee industry and entrepreneurial spirit with LemanVentures’ global Food and Ag network, current portfolio, and robust ecosystem of capabilities.
Sucafina’s new business pillar will sit alongside the other four core segments of its business: green coffee merchant, specialty green coffee merchant, green coffee trader, and coffee industrialist.
“Our fifth pillar aims to encapsulate the convergence between farm, fork, and cup that is present across all sectors within agribusiness,” says Nicolas A. Tamari, CEO of Sucafina. “We have defined a holistic approach to the Food and Ag supply chain and we expect that there will be tangible benefits for the coffee industry as investments cross-pollinate from various sectors.”
Agribusiness has lagged behind many other industries in terms of innovation and technology adoption. Yet, explains Rettore, “collaboration is key and so there is an opportunity for the sector to master the lessons learned by other industries and reduce risk by deploying technology that can deliver significant benefits to the agribusiness supply chain.”
About Sucafina
Sucafina is a leading sustainable Farm to Roaster coffee company, with a family tradition in commodities that stretches back to 1905. Today, with more than 1,000 employees in 32 countries, the Group is one of the leading coffee trading houses in the world and one of the few focused entirely on coffee. Sucafina’s extensive supply chains span from producer-facing export operations to destination sales offices around the world.
About LemanVentures
LemanVentures is a privately held investment firm focused on enabling the shift from more to better food. Its portfolio strategy focuses on companies with ambitious goals and is structured around the three pillars of sustainability, innovation and consumers’ trends".