Rebuilding farmland and rebuilding the rural economy are “inseparable objectives,” according to The Rockefeller Foundation, which just committed $4 million to real assets manager Alder Point Capital.
With the new investment, Alder Point, which facilitates investments in US farmland and timberland, will acquire and bring more under-managed land into responsible stewardship, boosting both its environmental performance and positive financial impact on surrounding communities.
“Healthy soils, forests, and water systems are essential, but long-term stewardship ultimately depends on whether the people who manage those resources have the economic means to thrive,” Ghita Benabderrazik, managing director of innovative finance at Rockefeller Foundation, tells AgFunderNews.
Alder Point’s strategy treats land stewardship as both an environmental and economic opportunity.
The firm acquires high-quality but typically under-managed farmland and timberland, then works with local operators to implement practices that improve soil health, biodiversity, farming systems. This increases the value and long-term performance of the land as well the local economy. Alder Point then sells the land, now a stabilized asset, to institutional managers, operators, and others.
“We view access to land as an important but often overlooked barrier to scaling regenerative agriculture,” says Benabderrazik.
“Alder Point’s model addresses that challenge by pairing long-term capital with a stewardship approach that can preserve working lands while supporting rural prosperity.”
Benabderrazik also highlights Alder Point’s strategy of working with local farmers, foresters, and rural enterprises as something that stood out to Rockefeller Foundation.
“Throughout our diligence process, we saw an emphasis on building local stewardship capacity, supporting community partnerships, and ultimately facilitating transitions of land to values-aligned owners wherever possible.”
Those things align with Rockefeller Foundation’s Big Bet on Good Jobs for America project. That initiative works to create jobs in distressed communities around the US in a number of industries, including food, energy, and AI.
Improving livelihoods through the land
The Rockefeller Foundation’s $4 million investment will help Alder Point acquire and improve working farmland and timberland. According to Benabderrazik, capital will support activities such as implementing regenerative agriculture practices, improving soil and water health, and improving forest management.
“From The Rockefeller Foundation’s perspective, what is important is not just the positive environmental outcomes, but who benefits from them,” she notes.
“We are interested in models that channel investment into rural communities that have historically seen limited access to capital and economic opportunity. By investing in working lands, Alder Point is helping create the conditions for local economic activity, supporting farmers, foresters, and rural businesses while preserving productive land for future generations.”
More broadly, she adds, the investment illustrates the way in which climate resilience and rural prosperity reinforce one another.
“Healthy working lands support livelihoods, and stronger rural economies are better positioned to steward those lands over the long term.”
Rebuilding the rural economy
Benabderrazik says rebuilding the rural economy requires work at multiple levels, starting with the land itself, which in turn helps boost financial resilience of farmers, ranchers, foresters, and the wider community.
For example, some of the biggest barriers to adopting more sustainable farming and ranching practices are the upfront capital and technical expertise required to make the switch. The Rockefeller Foundation addressed this in 2023 when it invested in Mad Capital’s Perennial Fund II, which provides operating capital for farmers transitioning to regenerative practices.
“These investments reflect our belief that strengthening agriculture requires investing not only in the land itself, but also in the people and businesses responsible for stewarding it,” notes Benabderrazik.
Creation of quality jobs that bring economic opportunity to individuals and families is equally important, she adds.
“Healthy working lands support the livelihoods of farmers and landowners, and support the broader ecosystem of workers, local businesses, and service providers that depend on agriculture and natural-resource-based economies. We believe that sustainable land stewardship can be a powerful engine for job creation, local investment, and long-term rural prosperity.”
Further reading:
Feeding kids, funding soil: Inside Rockefeller Foundation’s $100m plan for regenerative school meals
Guest article: The wizard, the prophet, and the case for regenerative agriculture
