The Principles for Responsible Investment in Farmland (known as the ‘Farmland Principles’) were developed over 2011 by a group of PRI signatories. The Farmland Principles were designed to guide institutional investors who wish to invest in farmland in a responsible manner. They are not part of the PRI. However, their agenda is very aligned with that of the PRI and it is a requirement that all signatories of the Farmland Principles are also PRI signatories. The five Farmland Principles are:
- Promoting environmental sustainability
- Respecting labour and human rights
- Respecting existing land and resource rights
- Upholding high business and ethical standards
- Reporting on activities and progress towards implementing and promoting the Principles
Background
The Farmland Principles were developed by a group of PRI signatories who had invested in or were planning to invest in farmland. These signatories formed a working group in September 2010 to develop and communicate joint positions in support of ESG standards for agricultural land and related investments by institutional investors. The only requirement to becoming a signatory to the Farmland Principles is that organisations must be a signatory to the PRI, though the Farmland Principles themselves are not housed within the PRI Initiative. For further information, please refer to the following documents:
- Background and history to the development of the Farmland Principles
- The Farmland Principles
- Media release detailing the launch
To endorse the Principles for Responsible Investment in Farmland, please contact PHershey@tiaa-cref.org
Current signatories
- AAG Investment Management (Australia)
- ABP (Netherlands)
- Adveq Management (Switzerland)
- AP1 (Sweden)
- AP2 (Sweden)
- APG (Netherlands)
- Aquila Capital Green (Germany)
- ATP (Denmark)
- BT Pension Scheme (UK)
- Hermes (UK)
- Insight (UK)
- PFZW (Netherlands)
- PGGM (Netherlands)
- PKA (Denmark)
- Rabo Farm (Netherlands)
- Southern Pastures Management (New Zealand)
- TIAA-CREF (US)
- Treetops Capital (US)
- UFF Asset Management (South Africa)