Pictet is launching the PF(LUX)-Agriculture fund on 29 May 2009. The new fund will be managed by Gertjan van der Geer, Senior Investment Manager at Pictet.
Pictet’s Agriculture fund is the most recent addition to Pictet’s distinctive range of thematic products, which includes the following: Water, Timber, Clean Energy, Security, Biotech, Digital Communications, Generics and Premium Brands. The PF(LUX)-Agriculture provides access to quoted companies that are expected to play a vital role in helping to supply food for a global population that is predicted to grow by nearly 40 percent between 2005 and 2050 according to a December 2007 World Bank estimate.
“Pictet is a recognized leader in thematic investing and has a proven track record in environmental fund management,” says Gertjan van der Geer, portfolio manager. “Though investors have long been drawn to agricultural commodities, agriculture as a whole, from the production and conditioning to the transportation of agricultural products, has long been ignored as an area for strategic investment.”
“Building on Pictet’s environmental franchise, the fund will invest in an industry that enjoys stable growth determinants – that is, the need to raise yields and increase efficiency over the long term,” continues Van der Geer.
“Nearly 70% of agricultural production gets lost from the farm to the table. Reducing this inefficiency will be crucial in meeting the demands of a growing population and expanding middle class. We believe that in order to deal with the scale of the challenge, the agricultural sector will have to invest in new technologies, processes and farming inputs.”
L.D.