The Savills GFI showed strong returns in 2021, just as the world was thrown into turmoil by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This has pushed the issues of agricultural production, food security, commodity trading and supply chain resilience firmly back into the spotlight. Russia and Ukraine are key agricultural players, together exporting nearly 12% of food calories traded globally and supplying 34% of the world’s wheat exports. The impact of the Black Sea disruptions will be felt in farmland market activity into 2023 and beyond; in most geographies, values are continuing to climb on the back of strong commodity market pricing as investors seek a diversified, non-correlated inflation hedge.

Despite all the disruption, two familiar trends are driving the farmland investment thesis now: rising global demand for food and a shrinking supply of arable land, as climate-related factors such as water scarcity limit supply. Overall the outlook for the sector remains extremely positive.

We are delighted to announce Jonny Griffiths joins Savills Rural on 26 September 2022 as Head of International Farmland Investment. For a number of years, our rural team has advised on and transacted farmland beyond the UK on an ad hoc basis using our existing network of rural agents. In this new role, Jonny will have a particular focus on valuations and acquisitions of land and farms around the globe for a range of clients. Please contact Jonny at jonny.griffiths@savills.com to find out more.

_{Read the articles within Global Farmland Spotlight below.}