Industry Research

It's been more than 15 years since the Great Financial Crisis but are institutions still in love with farmland? Rising interest rates have investors looking back to treasuries and fixed income as their diversification strategy. However, the investment thesis around farmland as an asset class with its strong risk-adjusted returns and hedge against inflation has never been more true.

Our 2023 report explores the impact of renewable energy, foreign ownership, inflation, higher interest rates, and continued geopolitical pressures on farmland values. The report also contains expanded regional coverage including the Northern Plains and Southern Plains.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was signed and became public law on August 16, 2022. The long-term policy objectives laid out in the IRA, if realized, will have significant inflationary impacts on the farmland asset class.

Our 2022 report explores how rising inflation, increasing geopolitical pressures, and U.S. policies have impacted the farmland asset class as a whole and on a regional basis.

Our 2021 report contains an analysis of historical market trends, a regional breakdown of current market conditions, and an overview of recent farmland investment outcomes based on the NCREIF index.

There are very few reliable sources of data to compare land values across the country. As the financialization of farmland picks up steam, the need to evaluate various regions and asset types in agriculture is becoming more important than ever.

This thought-provoking paper asserts that changing demographics is driving a trend by next-generation landowners to manage for appreciation and create sustainability through socially responsible farming.

Mercaris surveyed 109 certified organic landowners and renters across the country, concentrated in the Corn Belt and East Coast, about their cash rental values to determine if certified organic land values differed from conventional land values within these regions.

With around 10% of all farmland changing hands in the next few years, farm succession planning is no longer optional, it’s essential. The future of farmland ownership is set to look very different in the coming years.

The planning process — starting small but knowing where you’re going — is the bedrock of a farm’s commitment to soil and water conservation. Everything in this guide is focused on providing a path to address a problem or helping you make progress on a goal — whether that involves cropland, associated agricultural land, pasture, or livestock facilities.