AI Issue 5 2017

50 Acquisition International - May 2017 Equilibria Capital is an alternative asset management firm based in Hamilton, Bermuda and Geneva, Switzerland. The firm was founded in 2011 by Daniel Tafur and Fabio Lopez Ceron, who spent the majority of their career in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking and Wealth Management divisions in London. quilibria Capital manages investment funds and separate account for private and institutional clients globally. The firm’s funds and portfolios invest across multiple asset classes in both public and private markets. Equilibria Capital has grown steadily since its launch and currently manages over $600 million in client assets. One of Equilibria’s most innovative funds is the EQC Agrifund, an agriculture-themed fund with a socially responsible approach to investing. Socially responsible investing has come a long way since its humble beginnings - when it mostly meant not buying shares of tobacco companies and purchasing shares in alternative energy companies. Times, however, have changed and investors are increasingly concerned about socially responsible investing, sustainability and the environment and seek to make a positive impact whilst achieving attractive returns. Company: Equilibria Capital Management Name: Daniel Tafur Address: O’Hara House, One Bermudiana Road Hamilton HM08, Bermuda Phone: +1441 295 2233 Company: Equilibria Capital Management Name: Fabio Lopez Ceron Address: 30, Quai Gustave Ador 1207 Geneva, Switzerland Phone: +41 22 707 6720 Web: www.equilibriacapital.com EQC Agrifund - Socially Responsible Investing in a ChangingWorld E 1704AI50 Socially responsible investing (SRI) has now become a guiding principle for many investors, who under this approach consider managers, companies and projects that manage environmental, social and governance factors (the so-called ‘ESG factors’) effectively. In 2014, Equilibria launched the EQC Agrifund, a global food and agriculture-themed fund with an absolute return bias. EQC Agrifund invests with a long-term view, looking to promote the preservation and improvement of its assets – based on an economic, environmental and social perspective. Responsible investment in the agriculture and food space is essential for enhancing food security and nutrition and supporting the progressive realisation of the right to adequate food. In the manager’s view, companies and projects that focus on sustainability and on socially responsible factors are more likely to endure and create sustainable value over the long term, than those that do not. The socially responsible approach to investing in agriculture and food systems produces a multiplier effect for complementary sectors, such as service or manufacturing industries, thus further contributing to food security and nutrition and overall economic development, particularly in developing countries. The idea behind using ESG concepts is to help identify companies with superior business models and forward-thinking attributes that are focused on the long term, mitigate risk and ultimately, deliver better returns. While the specific factors vary by asset category, project and geography, there are several impact objectives the EQC Agrifund considers when evaluating opportunities and managing investments in the food and agriculture space. Within the environmental factors at local and global levels the fund analyses climate change mitigation, carbon emissions, utilisation of natural resources, energy and water usage, waste, soil, water and air pollution, land conservation and sustainable and organic practices.