Tag: Impact Investing

HOPE Credit Union Makes Landmark Investment in Talladega College in AL

HOPE Credit Union Makes Landmark Investment in Talladega College in AL

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Pictured above: Interim Talladega College President Dr. Walter Kimbrough, Talladega College Board of Trustees Chair Rica Lewis-Payton, and Hope Enterprise / Hope Credit Union CEO Bill Bynum at the “State of the College” update.

Impact finance leader has supported 26 HBCUs across the Deep South

HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation / Hope Credit Union) signaled its ongoing commitment to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with a $15 million working capital loan to Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama to empower the college to restructure its balance sheet and bolster its long-term viability.

Talladega loan is the latest example of HOPE’s alliance with HBCUs to increase economic mobility in the Deep South. In 2019, HOPE published and disseminated the “HBCU-CDFI Economic Mobility Guide,” a seminal analysis that outlined key outcomes from collaboration between Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University and HOPE to improve conditions in under resourced rural and urban areas. HBCUs have long played a critical role in moving people along the economic continuum. Similarly, Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, invest in people and places that have been historically underbanked.

HOPE has generated over $60 million in investments to support HBCUs across the Deep South. Examples include Oakwood University’s Healthy Campus 2020 program, a strategic initiative established to address poor health outcomes and preventable diseases among students and to help address health, food and job insecurity faced by low-income residents of Northwest Alabama; and financing that enabled Fisk University to finance the renovation of four historic buildings to enhance student services and academic programs, and complete technological and security upgrades throughout the campus.

“HBCUs make an outsized contribution to the prosperity of people and communities in the Deep South. Our investment in Talladega, Oakwood and Fisk reflect the alignment of mission and values between HOPE, HBCUs, and the communities they serve,” said HOPE CEO Bill Bynum.

HOPE’s investment in Talladega College comes at a pivotal time for Alabama’s first private historically black liberal arts college, known for academic excellence for over 150 years. The infusion of working capital is expected to enhance the institution’s cash flow, support operational needs, and build a foundation for future growth. This initiative marks a key milestone in the college’s journey toward long-term sustainability following a series of strategic actions implemented since September 2024.

HOPE provides broad-based support for HBCUs. Beyond financing for campus facilities and the surrounding communities, HOPE places a priority on being a financial resource to HBCU faculty, staff, students, alumni and their families, which are often underserved by traditional banks. HOPE is also the primary financial institution for the HBCU Athletic Conference, the nation’s largest athletic conference for private HBCUs.

“Our support for HBCUs is about more than dollars, or even the institutions themselves — it is an investment in the economy of the entire nation. When HBCUs succeed, they equip our future workforce, future entrepreneurs and future leaders to drive an economy where everyone can prosper,” said Bynum.

HOPE invites HBCUs, community development partners, and philanthropic organizations to collaborate in shaping a more prosperous future. Visit our Community and Economic Development HBCU page to learn more.

Hope Credit Union 30 years

About HOPE

HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Credit Union and Hope Policy Institute) provides financial services; leverages resources; and engages in advocacy that strengthens the financial health and wealth of people in under-resourced Deep South communities. Since 1994, these efforts have benefitted more than three million people in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, and influenced billions in investments in persistent poverty communities nationwide. Learn more at www.hopecu.org

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ImpactAssets 2025 Impact Investment Fund Managers List-2

ImpactAssets 2025 Impact Investment Fund Managers List

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More than one-quarter of IA 50 2025 applicants were first-time applicants, underscoring the rapid expansion of the impact investing industry globally.

ImpactAssets, the impact investing leader with a 15-year track record of mobilizing capital for good, recently released the ImpactAssets 50™ (IA 50) 2025, the definitive guide to impact investment fund managers globally. This year’s IA 50 features 165 experienced and emerging impact investment fund managers, the highest number to date. See the full list here.

Now in its 14th year, the IA 50 remains the most comprehensive resource for identifying best-in-class impact fund managers, offering investors a rigorously curated and publicly accessible database to explore the industry’s leaders across the full range of investment types.

This year’s IA 50 highlights unabated momentum in impact investing: Application volume has grown 250% since 2020, and 28% of 2025 applicants had never applied before – both signals of rapid market expansion. Total assets under management (AUM) of IA 50 firms surged to $130.6 billion, representing a 35% year-over-year increase – driven by the inclusion of new, large impact managers, as well as the steady growth of established firms. Notably, this year’s Emerging Impact Manager (EIM) category lists 21 managers who focus on climate as their primary impact theme, the largest number ever in this category and a category total that has nearly doubled since 2021. This year’s EIM category also witnesses a resurgence of infrastructure-focused managers with three such managers selected, signaling the highest-ever infrastructure focus on the EIM list.

“As impact investing continues its march into the financial mainstream, the IA 50 has become a powerful barometer of industry maturation and the most respected recognition in our sector,” said Margret Trilli, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of ImpactAssets and an IA 50 Review Committee member. “The scale, growth and credibility of this year’s IA 50 managers demonstrate that impact investing is not only thriving, it is becoming an undeniable force in the market.”

Market Signals: Key Trends from the IA 50 2025

All told, 50 impact investing fund managers were selected for this year’s core IA 50 list, 65 managers for the Emerging Impact Manager list, and 50 managers for the Emeritus list.

The composition of the IA 50 2025 reveals key trends shaping impact investing today:

  • Growing Manager AUM:A total of 24 IA 50 managers have reached institutional scale, with $1 billion or more in AUM, a 33% increase over the two previous years.
  • Financial Returns and Impact Work In Tandem: 46% of managers on the list target market-rate returns, while 28% pursue above-market returns. The core IA50 list is predominantly market-rate (36%) and above-market (28%) managers.
  • Climate and Social Impact Priorities:50% of listed managers primarily focus on social themes such as financial inclusion and community development, while 33% prioritize climate-related investments, including clean tech, alternative energy, and decarbonization.
  • Beneficiaries of Impact Capital:The majority of IA 50 managers focus on supporting small businesses, rural communities, low income, and disadvantaged communities.
  • Third-Party Impact Verification on the Rise: 28% of core IA 50 managers and 24% of Emeritus managers have impact reports verified by third-party assessors, marking a steady progression in impact transparency.

“This year’s IA 50 showcases how impact investing is quickly coming of age – not only in scale and financial sophistication, but also in accountability and rigor,” said Jed Emerson, IA 50 Review Committee Chair. “The increasing prevalence of third-party impact verification, larger institutional-scale fund sizes, and record-breaking newer entrants signal a maturing market that remains deeply committed to driving positive change.”

The IA 50 Selection Process: Unmatched Rigor and Expert Review

ImpactAssets employs a rigorous multi-stage process to select the IA 50, ensuring it remains the most credible and thoughtfully curated benchmark for impact investing excellence. Unlike lists based purely on AUM rankings or editorial selection, the IA 50 blends quantitative analysis with expert qualitative review to identify managers that are not only financially sound, but also deeply committed to measurable impact.

IA 50 selections are made by the distinguished IA 50 Review Committee, composed of 16 of the most globally-recognized impact investing leaders and practitioners, ensuring that the IA 50 remains the industry’s most credible, thoughtfully curated benchmark for impact investing excellence. The review process includes a quantitative analysis, led by ImpactAssets Capital Partners, based on application information, impact reports and public disclosures. The IA 50 Review Committee makes the final selection, ensuring the analysis adheres to a structured framework of fairness and rigor. All firms included in the IA 50 have met strict criteria, including a track record in impact investing, clear social and environmental impact goals, and U.S. investor accessibility.

“The IA 50 not only reflects where impact investing is today, but also provides a roadmap for its future,” said Rehana Nathoo, Founder and CEO at Spectrum Impact and an IA 50 Review Committee Member. “The rigorous selection process and expert review that define the IA 50 reinforce its position as the industry’s gold standard – giving investors confidence that the firms featured are at the forefront of driving meaningful impact.”

 

About the ImpactAssets 50 

ImpactAssets 50™ (IA 50) is the definitive guide to impact investing fund managers globally. The publicly available database is composed of experienced and emerging private debt and equity impact investment fund managers committed to generating positive impact. The IA 50 2025 reflects the innovation and exponential growth of impact investing that the IA 50 has helped to spotlight over 14 years.  The IA 50 is not an index or investable platform and does not constitute an offering or solicitation to buy or sell securities or a private placement, or recommend specific products. Nor is this an endorsement of any of the listed fund managers. It is not a replacement for due diligence. Additional details on the selection process are available here.

About ImpactAssets

ImpactAssets Inc. is an impact investing leader dedicated to changing the trajectory of the planet’s future and improving the lives of all people. As a leading impact investing firm, ImpactAssets offers deep strategic expertise to help its clients define and execute on their impact goals. Founded in 2010, ImpactAssets increases flows of money to impact investing in partnership with its clients through its impact investment platform, philanthropic solutions, and field-building initiatives, including the IA 50 database of private debt and equity impact fund managers. ImpactAssets has more than $3 billion in assets, working with purpose-driven individuals and their wealth managers, family offices, foundations, and corporations. ImpactAssets is an independent 501(c)(3) organization. is an independent 501(c)(3) organization.

About ImpactAssets Capital Partners 

ImpactAssets Capital Partners PB LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. ImpactAssets Capital Partners is a public-benefit LLC owned by ImpactAssets. ImpactAssets Capital Partners was created to bring the ImpactAssets platform and customized investment services to institutional investors such as family offices, foundations and corporations.

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Sustainable Indigenous Finance to be launched at the US SIF conference in Washington DC - June 25-27

Sustainable Indigenous Finance ‘Collaboration for Innovation’ to be launched at the US SIF Annual Forum

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The world is changing and so are the markets. US SIF is exploring new initiatives that will strategically position members with better risk-based analytics to navigate the increasing volatility and offer innovative collaborations with the diverse perspectives, creativity and investment acumen needed to identify new risks and opportunities within the finance markets in this rapidly changing world.

The first US SIF Collaboration for Innovation will be launched at its Annual Forum in Washington DC on June 27. Led by US SIF Board Member and Founder of First Peoples Worldwide, Rebecca Adamson, the collaboration will establish an investors and Indigenous Peoples’ hub that combines investment acumen and academic rigor with a global Indigenous network for innovating Sustainable Indigenous Finance. The purpose of the Sustainable Indigenous Finance Collaboration is to provide practical analytics and evidence-based research (including quantitative and empirical evidence on Indigenous risks) and establish a safe creative space to translate Indigenous priorities (such as land rights, culture shelf determination, and FPIC), specifically through the lens of financial materiality.

Financial Materiality and Indigenous Peoples

A new report by US SIF, First Peoples, and ImpactARC, Sustainable Indigenous Finance: Investors and Indigenous Peoples, found that investors often overlook the potential adverse impacts on Indigenous peoples that can then result in significant business risks — from supply chain disruptions to land tenure disputes — and hence, affect financial performance. Indigenous Peoples’ land constitutes 23% to 30% of the earth’s surface and contains vast natural resources such as 80% of the biodiversity[1], 50% of the inland waters, 36% of the large intact forests and vast amounts of the new transition minerals (over 50% of the lithium 70% of the nickel, copper)[2]. This reinforces the fact that Indigenous conflict isn’t just about the extractive sector — it now spans new transition minerals, natural resources, ecoservices, and clean energy.

Recent research by the Wharton ESG Initiative supports this thinking.  Wharton found that Indigenous Peoples’ rights — coupled with their natural assets — have been historically under-addressed by investors and are now impacting financial performance across the majority of sectors. The first-of-its-kind global research, titled ‘ESG Material Credit Events and Credit Risks’[3], quantified material risk events for 1,444 projects operating on or near Indigenous lands and found that companies incur 500% higher risk events than those operating elsewhere. Moreover, individual projects had an increased risk from 3 to 66 times higher than other company projects. In a further study, Wharton tracked the correlation to Indigenous Peoples’ conflict and potential material risk factors Research found that foreign direct investment (FDI) increases armed conflict across all sectors[4]. The meta-study looked at over 3,000 Indigenous conflicts and concluded that where both Indigenous lands and investments co-exist, an additional 6.7-armed conflict events can be expected in the following year.

In both studies Wharton also found that companies with poor Indigenous Peoples risk management also had low environmental and social performance ratings as well as higher financial risk. Investors are often analyzing these risks separately and overlooking their interconnectedness. Factors such as erratic weather patterns, water insecurity and the exponential increase in demand of goods and services should not be viewed in isolation as they are frequently correlated. Investors still looking at their portfolios as an aggregate of individual businesses without acknowledging the underlying correlated risks to their asset base may be mis-valuing their portfolios.

Washington, DC: The Sustainable Indigenous Finance Panel

The Sustainable Indigenous Finance Collaboration, curated by Rebecca Adamson, eponymous of the Wharton Rebecca Adamson Indigenous Peoples Risk Index and Advisor to the Wharton School-wide ESG Initiative, will be announced tentatively by Deb Haaland, former Secretary of Interior and candidate for New Mexico Governor, at the US SIF Annual Conference this summer.

The announcement will be followed by a panel of the foremost experts and Indigenous leaders for a conversation on how investors can support Indigenous priorities and investment opportunities along with a deep dive into the newest Indigenous ESG research and how to reduce portfolios volatility. The panel on “Sustainable Indigenous Finance” and the new report, Investors and Indigenous Peoples will launch on Friday, June 27th.

Esteemed Panelists will Include:

Mark Podlasly – Member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in British Columbia, serves as Chief Executive Officer at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC). FNMPC is dedicated to protecting the environment and advocating for better benefits and equity positions in the projects on its members’ traditional territories. FNMPC project portfolio now exceeds a combined total capital cost over $45 billion.

Witold (Vit) Jerzy Henisz – Vice Dean and Faculty Director, the ESG Initiative Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management in Honor of Russell E. Palmer, former Managing Partner the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mark Trahant – Winner of the 2025 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence Nieman Foundation, Pulitzer Prize finalist for his reporting on Native Americans, PBS  Frontline reporter, Seattle Times columnist winner of the Society of Professional Journalists Award, former editorial page editor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Chairman and CEO of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, Editor at Large of ICT and member the American Academy of Arts and Science.

 

Footnotes:

[1]  https://iwgia.org/en/news/3268-facts-indigenous-peoples

[2]  https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/stories/2024/we-cannot-ignore-the-tension

[3] Witold, J. Henisz, James McGlinch, ESG, Material Credit Events, and Credit Risk, Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Vol 31 (2), 105-117 (2019). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jacf.12352

[4]  Henisz, W.J, Jamison A.S., & Tadmor D.  Indigenous Land Claims and Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence of Conflict Impacts from Geo-Spatial Media Event Data .Wharton, (2023)

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Praxis Investment Mgmt. Launches New ETFs and Releases Research on Faith-based Investing-2

Praxis Investment Mgmt. Launches New ETFs and Releases Research on Faith-based Investing

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Praxis Investment ManagementTM, a company of Everence® and a leading investment manager serving values and faith-based investors, has launched its first two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) — Praxis Impact Large Cap Growth ETF (PRXG) and Praxis Impact Large Cap Value ETF (PRXV). Both funds began trading on the NYSE on April 8.

“Our new active ETFs are designed to meet the demand of values and faith-based investors,” said Chad Horning, President of Praxis FundsTM. “Investors want competitive, values-driven investment options and they want to talk with their financial advisors about investing with their faith in mind, and these products facilitate that conversation.”

PRXG and PRXV deploy quantitative equity strategies similar to those used in the Praxis Growth Index Fund (MMDEX) and the Praxis Value Index Fund (MVIIX).

Praxis built its reputation on delivering competitive, benchmark-level returns in core, mutual fund portfolio holdings, integrating shared values and a set of impact strategies designed to promote real-world change. MMDEX (2007) and MVIIX (2001) have been an important part of that history for almost 20 years. Praxis has now brought that optimized, index-like investment approach into the ETF arena in both the large cap growth (PRXG) and large cap value (PRXV) space. The ETFs and mutual funds are similar in many ways. For example, the ETFs are technically “non-diversified” funds, which may help them track their benchmarks even more closely in situations when the largest names in a benchmark exceed limitations for “diversified” funds. The Praxis ETFs also bring the unique application of Praxis ImpactX strategies in an ETF product.

“Praxis has been a leader in faith-based mutual funds for more than 30 years,” said Mark Regier, Vice President of Stewardship Investing. “For much of that time, shareholders preferred to work with financial advisors who typically used mutual funds to build portfolios. In recent years, investors and their advisors have been choosing ETFs to access the markets because of their ease of purchase, and for taxable accounts, more favorable tax treatment. This broader market trend has also influenced the way faith-based investors want to invest. While Praxis is not the first faith-based firm to issue ETFs, we think our approach to investing will appeal to investors who want real world impact and who desire practical solutions to their investment objectives.”

The funds seek capital appreciation and performance similar to the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index and CRSP US Large Cap Value Index respectively. Praxis applies equity screens consistent with its core values and utilizes optimization techniques to attempt to limit benchmark tracking error. The funds are meant to serve as core allocations – “the heart of your portfolio.”

“All Praxis funds embody our stewardship investing core values and use our ImpactX framework to create real-world impact,” said Benjamin Bailey, Vice President of Investments. “Research shows that investors want advisors who understand and engage with their faith-based investing preferences. Our new ETFs provide practical solutions for advisors looking for lower cost, liquid, tax-efficient, values-driven investment options to serve these clients.”

Bailey heads the team managing PRXG and PRXV. Bailey has over 20 years of investment management experience and has managed Praxis portfolios since 2005.

The expense ratios for both funds are 0.36%.

Concurrent with the ETF launches, Praxis released the results of research highlighting a largely untapped opportunity for financial advisors to strengthen their understanding of and service to their clients. The findings are based on a survey of 1,001 individual investors controlled for age, region and gender, and 403 financial advisors across multiple distribution channels.

Whether and how faith may be considered in investment portfolios is a conversation that 75% of investors want to have with their financial advisor, according to the research report “Faith-based Investing: The conversation clients seek, The value advisors can add.” However, just 9% of advisors are willing to initiate such a conversation.

“This disconnect suggests that advisors run the risk of underestimating or ignoring what’s important to clients,” said Horning. “But the research also explains why: Advisors are uncomfortable with the topic, have relatively low levels of awareness of solutions available, and lack confidence in the efficacy of those solutions. In short, they’re reluctant to engage clients on a topic they fear will not produce good results.”

Highlights from the Research:

  • 65% of advisors perceive a lack of client demand, interest and/or awareness.
  • Only 59% of advisors are aware of faith-based investments.
  • Advisors report a lack of product availability, doubt that investment performance results can be competitive, and believe that screening processes can be counterproductive to strong returns.
  • Despite the barriers and misconceptions identified, advisors and investors who are aware of faith-based investing share positive views on its benefits. There’s consensus in the data that faith-based investing empowers investors to feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
  • Many expect faith-based investing to gain popularity over the next decade.

“Clients want to align their faith with their investments in order to create real impact,” said Regier. “The broader availability of lower cost, liquid, tax-efficient faith-based ETFs can help raise awareness and prompt advisors to explore their options for serving these values-driven investors.”

“Now is the time to ask your clients about their thoughts on faith-based investing,” Regier encourages financial advisors. “Engaging clients about their values has the potential to build stronger connections, create a deeper understanding of the client, and demonstrate value by introducing them to an investing approach they may never have considered.”

The research was conducted by Bellomy Research in the fall of 2024.

To download a copy, visit https://www.praxisinvests.com/research.

  

About Praxis Investment Management

Since 1994, Praxis has offered investment products designed to meet practical needs for everyday investors seeking to steward their assets consistent with their desire to promote positive social and environmental impacts. Praxis brings a faith-based approach to ETFs, mutual funds, multi-fund portfolio solutions and money market accounts. Based in Goshen, Indiana, Praxis is a company of Everence Financial. Learn more at praxisinvests.com.

CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index: Represents the Growth Style for companies covering top 85% of cumulative capitalization of CRSP US Total Market. It is not possible to invest in an index. 

CRSP US Large Cap Value Index: Represents the Value Style for companies covering top 85% of cumulative capitalization of CRSP US Total Market. It is not possible to invest in an index. 

An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the fund carefully before investing. A prospectus and a summary prospectus which contains this and other information about the fund may be obtained by visiting praxisinvests.com/prospectus. The prospectus and the summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

ETFs are subject to additional risks that do not apply to conventional mutual funds, including the risks that the market price of an ETF’s shares may trade at a premium or discount to its net asset value, an active secondary trading market may not develop or be maintained, or trading may be halted by the exchange in which they trade, which may impact an ETF’s ability to sell its shares. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the ETF. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

Praxis Mutual Funds® and Praxis ETFsTM are distributed by Foreside Financial Services, LLC.

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Extreme weather, tariffs, DOGE, frozen funds, and inflation threaten America's beleaguered farmers-John Howell-CCM

A Perfect Storm for US Agriculture Threatens 34 Million Jobs

By John Howell, Climate & Capital Media

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Extreme weather, tariffs, DOGE, frozen funds, and inflation threaten America’s beleaguered farmers

Climate and Capital Media Featured NewsAmerican farmers face a financial cliff as tariffs and severe storms take a wrecking ball to spring planting and market prices.

It’s planting time in America’s rural heartland, those states in the Midwest, the Great Plains, and the Mid-South Delta that are the “breadbasket” of the country’s agricultural economy. But the usual spring optimism that fuels farmers is subdued this year by the implications of extreme weather — and a new world trade order of reciprocal tariffs that threatens U.S. agriculture exports. This threatens more than $21 billion worth of soybeans and corn produced last year for Mexico, Canada, and China, the top three American markets. That’s more than half of the total $49 billion worth of both commodities that were exported.

To make matters even worse, money that in the past has been used to bail out farmers may not be available. The coffers of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a wholly owned U.S. government corporation, used to finance farm price and income support, is depleted. At stake are the dozens of commodity programs, commodity export credit guarantees, and agricultural export subsidies. The beauty of CCC relief is that it can make payments quickly and to provide financial support to America’s producers and farmers immediately. The catch: The CCC account is currently depleted due to the large payouts of recent years. And Congress has to authorize funds for the CCC to make payments.

Finally, farmers face the threat of frozen funds and another potential bout of debilitating inflation.

The Weather Report: Severe Spring Storms Due to Climate Change

For the past several years, the ag production season in Mid-America has been swamped by torrential rains that have drowned freshly planted crops and delayed planting due to submerged farm fields. These spring deluges, often more than a foot at a time, have created “generational” flooding and been accompanied by more frequent and more powerful tornadoes that have damage everything from barns and irrigation equipment.

These catastrophic storm events have been followed by severe droughts during the summer growing season. In the Bootheel area of Missouri where my family owns farmland, from June to mid-July 2022 we recorded not one drop of moisture — a first, according to local farmers. In the fall, record-low levels of the Mississippi River, the primary transportation channel for the mid-country’s agricultural production, have delayed shipping at harvest for the past three years, adding extra costs.

Ironically, last year’s “normal” weather (moderate and timely rains, average-size storms, and good fall harvest weather) was considered “abnormal” by farmers who have now become inured to the past decade’s radical changes in weather patterns.

Weather at this year’s spring planting time which began in March saw multiple severe storm systems that generated torrential rainfalls, hail, and record numbers of tornadoes. Some early planted corn was drowned and had to be re-planted. And flooded fields meant that farmers couldn’t get onto the soggy land; delayed planting usually means lower yields.

New Tariffs Have Slowed Sales of Key Ag Exports

A new layer of financial storm clouds on the American agricultural horizon threatens to add that proverbial last straw to the already formidable pile of obstacles now facing producers: the sweeping tariffs applied to global trade. As 20 percent of all U.S. agricultural products are exported, the financial stakes are enormous.

American farmers are bracing for a repeat of 2018-2019, when trade wars with China, the largest buyer of U.S. agricultural products, cratered prices for agricultural commodities due to reduced purchases of soybeans and corn. Those prices have not recovered and now hover at four-year lows.

In addition, overseas markets for U.S. products have dropped as the Chinese have increasingly switched to other providers, notably Argentina and Brazil, which have surpassed the U.S. as a supplier of soybeans to China. After many years in which the U.S. was the leading trade partner, Brazil provided 69% of China’s soybean imports while the U.S. share shrank to 25%.

Now, the forecast for this year’s ag export business is even more dire. Tariffs with America’s largest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, are currently undecided, and there’s a virtual trade embargo currently in place with China. New Chinese tariffs of 15% on corn and 10% on soybeans add prohibitive costs to importing American products. Those three countries buy nearly half of all U.S. ag exports. (In 2024, Mexico became the top destination, with China sinking to the number three spot after Canada.) While China made some buys of U.S. soybeans earlier this year in anticipation of trade disputes, purchases of American ag commodities have paused. Instead, China is buying from Brazil, alternative sources with rapidly rising production rates.

The United States sells more soybeans to China, by value, than any other single product. Last year, that amounted to more than 27 million metric tons, worth $12.8 billion. A drop in this trade is bad news for American farmers and good news for the nation ready to step in: Brazil.

More Problems at Play: No Farm Bill, DOGE Cuts to USDA

There are other pressures this year. There has been no new farm bill since 2018; a new one is typically passed by Congress every five years. The 2018 bill has simply been extended since 2023 on a year-to-year basis through 2025, with no adjustment in its calibration of economic support for farmers to reflect current conditions.

In addition, at the direction of DOGE, $2 billion worth of American agricultural products, annually included in the now-eliminated USAID program, are in limbo. Also, a program that funded $1 billion in local food provided to schools has been cut. And as of today, plans are to close over 100 USDA offices and cut an estimated 10- 20% of the USDA’s 100,000 personnel.

Meanwhile, on top of several years of sagging market prices and shrinking market share, costs (seeds, fertilizer, diesel fuel, farm equipment) have risen, driven by several years of inflation and now, by tariffs. For example, 80% of potash, a crucial fertilizer for corn, used on U.S. farms comes from Canada and now carries a tariff of 10% on top of its usual price.

The Bottom Line: A Looming “Bust” in the American Ag Economy

Farming has never been more precarious. Family farm bankruptcies increased by 55% last year, compared to 2023, and at the start of 2025, the number of bankruptcies is already exceeding the same time last year, according to a new report by Bloomberg Law. The report notes “Unpredictable tariffs, immigration overhauls, federal program cuts, and frozen Agriculture Department funding are now part of the discussions farmers are having as they seek financial help.” The last time farm bankruptcy filings rose was in 2019, during the previous trade war with China. Eventually, the previous Trump administration sent farmers more than $20 billion in Market Facilitation Program payments (MFP) to help cover export losses.

Biden-era Payments Offer Limited Immediate Support

To date this year, the only federal support has come from a Biden-era program, the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, part of the American Relief Act of 2025, which was passed by Congress in December 2024. The program authorized $10 billion for ECAP payments to help offset losses that growers incurred during the 2024 crop year, and these are being dispersed now.

Many other Biden-era agricultural-related programs have been frozen in place, as the current administration seeks to eliminate them while recouping funds already appropriated by Congress. These include the Rural Energy for American Program which promised to re-pay farmers and ranchers 50% of the costs of sustainable improvements, such as switching irrigation motors from diesel to electric power. Those who have fronted the investment and submitted their invoices for the 50% rebate are now being told that those reimbursements are frozen. This comes at a time when producers are taking on the annual hefty loans to put spring crops in the ground.

Where’s the Trump Administration Relief?

So far, comments on this dire situation by the administration and its allies have been as vague as its constantly changing tariff policies. Senator Jon Husted (R-OH), addressing the Ohio Farmers Bureau, noted that retaliatory tariffs on corn and soybeans would present yet another financial burden for Ohio farmers, who have lost market share of international corn and soybean exports to other countries during Trump’s first U.S.-China trade war. Ohio soybean exports have never recovered, sinking 60% from 2019 to 2023. As to any tariff-driven relief from the federal government, he said “I think the president is going to help work through those things. I think it remains to be seen what those impacts are. And once we see what those impacts are, then we’ll talk with the president about how to respond.”

You’d expect a more detailed, forceful statement from even a Republican senator in a state where one in eight workers in Ohio is engaged in agriculture, a business sector worth $124 billion annually, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and where he state’s top crops are corn and soybeans.

“Trump Dollars” for Farmers, 2025-6

Given the scale of uncertain weather conditions that affect yields and even more uncertain tariff policies, which have roiled export markets, it is likely that the price tag to keep Mid-American farms in business would be a multiple of the $28 billion shelled out to farmers during the first round of geopolitical trade disputes in 2019. That amount was estimated to account for one-third of all farm income, given the significant impact on collapsed export markets.

Back then, payments in the form of checks signed by the president were issued by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a wholly owned U.S. government corporation, which served as a financing institution for the USDA’s farm price and income support commodity programs, commodity export credit guarantees, and agricultural export subsidies. The beauty of CCC relief is that it can make payments quickly and provide financial support to America’s producers and farmers immediately. The catch: The CCC account is currently depleted due to the large payouts of recent years. Congress has to authorize funds for the CCC to make payments.

The Numbers are Big

The economic impact is huge. Agriculture, food, and related industries contributed roughly $1.537 trillion to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, a 5.5 percent share, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The output of America’s farms contributed $222.3 billion of this sum — about 0.8 percent of U.S. GDP. The overall contribution of agriculture to GDP is larger than 0.8 percent because sectors related to agriculture rely on agricultural inputs to contribute added value to the economy.

The climate and capital story on America’s agricultural economy is a developing story.

 

Article by John Howell, Finance Editor for Climate & Capital Media and a partner in his family agri-business firm in Missouri.

Article reprinted with Permission as part of GreenMoney’s ongoing collaboration with Climate and Capital Media.

Additional Articles, Energy & Climate, Food & Farming, Impact Investing, Sustainable Business

Investing in the Earth- Natural, Organic and Regenerative Food and Ag Surges in Popularity

Investing in the Earth: Natural, Organic and Regenerative Food and Ag Surges in Popularity

By Steve Hoffman, Compass Natural Marketing

> Back To May/June 2025 Issue

Steve Hoffman, Compass NaturalThe market for organic food and agriculture has grown significantly since the National Organic Program was first established in 2001, placing the USDA Certified Organic seal on products that qualify for this distinction. Today, it’s a $70-billion market that’s been growing an average of 8% per year. And while it may be maturing, younger consumers, including new parents and their babies, are eating it up. And now, in the post-pandemic era, investors are once again paying attention to the potential of organic and regenerative products and brands that take into account health and the environment, and how the way we produce our food and consumer products affects climate change.

A survey released in February 2025 by the Organic Trade Association (OTA), the industry’s leading trade group, found that organic’s benefits to personal health and nutrition are resonating deeply with Millennials and Gen Zer’s, making them the most committed organic consumers of any generation. Also, a February 2025 study by the Acosta Group, one of the nation’s top natural and organic products sales firms, reflected that 75% of all shoppers purchased at least one natural or organic product in the six months prior to the survey, with 59% responding that they think it’s important that their groceries and/or household products are natural and organic because they “are better for them” and “they tend to have fewer synthetic chemicals and additives.”

Natural and Organic Industry is a Force

Overall, the natural and organic products industry combined has more than tripled in size since 2007, growing from $97 billion in sales in 2007 to over $325 billion in 2024, according to data compiled by New Hope Network, SPINS (a division of Nielsen), Whipstitch Capital and others. The data was presented at this year’s State of Natural & Organic keynote presentation at Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest trade exhibition for the natural, organic, regenerative, nutritional and eco-friendly consumer products industry, held in March 2025.

“Wow, this industry is a force,” said Jessica Rubino, VP of Content & Summits for New Hope Network, at the keynote presentation. “That is a tremendous amount of growth. Today, we’re defining the industry as the natural, organic and functional food and beverage space, dietary supplements and personal care.” According to Rubino, the industry grew 5.7% in 2024, exceeding expectations. “The biggest piece of the pie is food and beverage, followed by dietary supplements and then personal care.” Rubino also said that while personal care is the smallest segment, it is the fastest growing and a category to watch.

“Natural products are absolutely continuing to accelerate again. Of course, they’re all outpacing non-natural products, and that’s even with not a whole lot of new items coming through,” said Kathryn Peters, Head of Industry Relations for SPINS and one of this year’s keynote presenters. “We’re also seeing more buyers coming in. This is being driven across many areas of the store, whether it’s refrigerated, grocery or vitamins and supplements. So, it’s just a resilient, wonderful story of growth we see in the industry. And really importantly, the game is continuing to be all about smart, profitable growth.”

In addition, “Organic is still very solid and strong, moving about the same pace as natural,” Peters said. “Consumers obviously have a strong awareness more than a lot of other certifications and a confidence in organic.” Certified regenerative products, too, showed significant growth of 20% in 2024, the panel noted.

“In just a little over two decades, the USDA Organic label has earned deep trust among consumers and has become one of the most identifiable food labels in our grocery stores,” said Matthew Dillon, Co-CEO of the OTA.

According to OTA’s survey, more than half of U.S. consumers bought an organic fruit or vegetable in the last year. Consumers surveyed bought more bread in the last six months than any other food item, and 27% said they chose organic bread. For those surveyed consumers buying baby food, a whopping 93% chose organic. The USDA Organic label is particularly important for younger consumers, with over two-thirds seeking out the organic label in almost every food purchase. The Organic label was most valued in fresh food categories including fruits, vegetables, meat/poultry, baby food, eggs and dairy, and these items were the most likely products to be purchased as organic over the last 12 months. 

Regenerative Agriculture Draws Investor Interest

In addition, regenerative agriculture — a system of farming that seeks to sequester carbon by rebuilding healthy soil — is among the sectors attracting more interest from impact investors, despite being an underfunded sector. However, there is growing consensus that the increasing threat to biodiversity is unsustainable and regenerative agriculture urgently needs to scale up. Now, groups such as Regenerative Food Systems Investors Forum and Impact Investor are drawing investor’s interest to the space.

One of the primary challenges to investing in regenerative food and farming is due to the fact that it requires significant upfront investment to transition from conventional farming. As such, many institutional investors remain hesitant due to uncertain returns and long payback periods. “This transition to regenerative farming is a long term one. That’s why intensive agriculture is so widespread, because it’s a very quick win. This is why you need investors to be patient and be willing to take some of the first loss and risk. This then accelerates the amount of private capital that will come in, because risk is protected,” said Harriet Jackson of responsAbility, a Swiss impact investing firm, speaking at Impact Investor’s 2024 conference in The Hague.

“Today…we are at what appears to be a crucial point in the transformation of agriculture and food systems. The momentum for regeneration is distinct,” said Sarah Day Levesque, Managing Director of  Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum, an investor’s organization seeking to build a more resilient food system. “There’s an increasing number of farmers pioneering the transition on the farm and increasing acreage. We can also see it in the incredible growth of organizations like EARA — the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture – designed to give rise to the voices of farmers in transition. Governments and public policy makers are acknowledging the very real risk presented by climate change and degradation of nature, including that caused by extractive agricultural practices. We are increasingly seeing policies and public sector investment that seeks to address these risks and support transition. Businesses and asset owners are starting to see and feel the importance of investing in nature and climate positive land use – seeing how critical investments in natural capital will de-risk production and create resilience in business models and investment outcomes.”

One organization seeking to foster investment in regenerative agriculture is the Boulder, CO-based Mad Agriculture, which in March 2024 launched Mad Capital, a $50 million investment fund aiming to de-risk regenerative and organic farming. With commitments from The Rockefeller Foundation, Schmidt Family Foundation and more, Mad Capital established its Perennial Fund II to provide loans to U.S. farmers to help them transition to regenerative and/or organic agriculture. The fund has made two closes and is “actively deploying capital to farmers,” said Mad Capital Cofounder and CEO Brandon Welch.

Natural and Organic Brands are Outperforming

From an investor’s perspective, the overall natural, organic and regenerative products industry is looking better than it has in some time, asserted Nick McCoy, Managing Director and Cofounder of Whipstitch Capital, at the State of Natural & Organic keynote at Natural Products Expo West. “Over the last couple of years there’s been a lot of talk and a lot of pain for the lack of liquidity in this industry. It’s been very difficult for founders to find money compared to pre-Covid. Right now, we’re sitting in a very similar point as we were in 2010 or 2011 facing the millennial launch and emerging from the great recession…when it was very difficult to raise small checks. So, what’s the hand of cards that we’re playing in this industry now? Well, we have natural products that are very attractive. They’re outperforming…consumers are running to them. We have positive ROI in cash invested. Cash invested is resulting in big revenue gains right now, and ultimately dollars chase dollars,” McCoy said.

“We may not have had as much M&A or fundings over the last two years, but…we’ve built a tremendous amount of value in this industry. And when you see more consumers spending more money in wellness, investment in M&A and other dollars eventually catch up and that’s what’s going to happen. CPG investors right now are sitting on a very large pool of illiquid but very attractive assets. There’s a lot of viable brands that are growing faster than basically the broader market… Interest rates are starting to stabilize. We’re seeing more fund closings and more investors getting more liquid money and the amount of illiquid value locked up is going up.”

According to McCoy, it’s not just the “big strategics” buying natural food brands. The natural products industry itself is seeing companies growing large enough to potentially become buyers themselves. “We’re seeing lots of talk about the IPO market starting again. Before 2021, I could probably count on one hand the number of brands that IPO’d in this industry. Now it sounds like it’s going to come back,” McCoy shared.

“There’re a lot of different ways that people get to liquidity,” McCoy added. “And once it does get liquid, then basically the money will flow from the bigger funds to the smaller funds, and the longer it takes, the more money these individual investors are going to get — surprising amounts. They thought they were going to get five times their money or 10 times their money investing in the company in 2015, and now it’s grown so large they get 50X when it sells. And that’s a true case of some that recently sold.”

According to McCoy, the $100-$300 million in revenue independent natural CPG brands — a group showing “tremendous growth” — represent major M&A and consolidation opportunity. “If we look at some of these recent high-profile deals, two, two and a half, three times revenue are where some of these things are trading. So, if we apply a two and a half times revenue multiple using SPINS sell-through data, you can see that this kind of locked up illiquid value that was $13 billion two years ago is up to $19 billion now. And when you think about a number like that, when that money starts to go back to investors, if you’re an investor and you put $25,000 into a company expecting to get $250,000 and suddenly you get $1.5 million, you’re going to be investing a lot more than $25,000 into other companies and that’s going to bring the liquidity back over these next few years. It’s really exciting to me.”

Article Resources:

  • The State of Natural & Organic — Keynote Presentation recorded at Natural Products Expo West 2025; watch here.
  • Nutrition Capital Network — With news, resources, and events, NCN brings together active investors and innovative companies in health, nutrition and wellness, www.nutritioncapital.com
  • Whipstitch Capital — A leading investment bank tracking the food & beverage and health & wellness space, www.whipstitchcapital.com
  • Big Path Capital — A leading investment bank and annual conference for impact investing and “Impact CEOs,” www.bigpathcapital.com
  • MAD Capital — An investment fund for regenerative and organic ranchers and farmers, www.madcapital.com
  • Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum — An investor’s organization seeking to build a more resilient food system, www.rfsi-forum.com

 

Article by Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media and strategic business development services to natural, organic, regenerative and sustainable products businesses. Contact him at- steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

Featured Articles, Food & Farming, Impact Investing, Sustainable Business

Why I Started a Food Innovation ETF by Elysabeth Alfano

Why I Started a Food Innovation ETF: A Journey from Personal Conviction to Growth Investing

By Elysabeth Alfano, VegTech Invest

> Back To May/June 2025 Issue

Elysabeth Alfano VegTech InvestA Childhood Realization

Not eating meat is one of my earliest memories. As a child, I simply couldn’t stomach it. The texture, the fat, the gristle—it all felt unnatural to me. I remember explaining to my parents that it just wasn’t appealing, but they were convinced I needed it to survive. So, under their watchful eyes, I tried to comply, but when they weren’t looking, I hid pieces of meat in my pockets, under the radiator—anywhere to avoid eating it. Of course, I was caught and grounded. In my young mind, I learned that eating meat wasn’t a choice; it was a societal expectation.

Confronting the Reality of Factory Farming

Fast forward to my 20s and 30s, and I had come to understand the realities of factory farming. I would mention to friends, “Do we really need pepperoni on that pizza?” The backlash was swift. “Oh, you’re such a tree hugger,” they’d say. I realized that everyone around me was participating in something they knew wasn’t right. Yet, because it was the norm, questioning it was met with resistance. It was a strange contradiction: people were aware of the problem but unwilling to acknowledge it openly.

A Turning Point in My Investment Journey

As I continued my career in finance, serving as Chief Investment Officer for a small family office, my perspective broadened. My focus shifted beyond personal choices to the broader implications of our food system. A turning point came during a Thanksgiving dinner with my nephew, a member of the University of Oregon football team. He told me that his team’s nutrition coach had banned meat and dairy during the season. This revelation struck a deep chord. I had known all along that my body rejected these foods, and now, science and performance nutrition were affirming what I had always felt instinctively. That day, I made a decision: I would no longer let societal pressure dictate my choices. I changed my diet on the spot. 

The Business Case for Food Systems Transformation

Once my diet changed, my business instincts kicked in. I started analyzing the food industry through an investment lens, and what I discovered was staggering. The inefficiencies in the food supply chain were glaring. Factory farming was not just environmentally disastrous — it was a poor business model. The numbers were irrefutable: 32% of the world’s methane emissions come from animal agriculture, primarily cows. Deforestation, biodiversity loss, food insecurity — all traced back to the same source. Our current system consumes vast amounts of land and water to produce a fraction of the calories needed to sustain the world’s population. With global demand for meat projected to rise by 50%, and no corresponding increase in land or water, the consequences of inaction were clear: food could become a privilege of the wealthy, leading to geopolitical instability. 

The Need for an Investment Solution

Where there is inefficiency, there is innovation. Thus, I saw a massive investment opportunity in food system transformation, a total addressable market estimated at $9 trillion to $14 trillion. Just as we transitioned from landlines to mobile phones, from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles, our food system is on the cusp of a transformation. Investing in companies pioneering sustainable food solutions wasn’t just ethical — it was financially sound. The U.S. Department of Defense is now allocating significant funds to food innovation as a matter of national security, a strong market indicator that more global investment is to come and that de-risking these innovations from government is highly likely.

Further, the World Bank projects that $450 billion to $650 billion will need to be invested annually in food system transformation over the next decade, a massive opportunity for investors. As far as impact, The Boston Consulting Group found that investing in diversified proteins was up to 40 times more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than investments in other green technologies.

It seemed logical to me that I would invest for the small family fund in this opportunity as part of an overall growth and impact strategy. Investing in private opportunities is much too risky with no liquidity so that wasn’t an option. When I looked for an investment vehicle in the public markets that focused on sustainable food systems transformation, I found nothing. There were ESG funds that excluded certain companies, but exclusion alone doesn’t drive innovation. The growth opportunity is investing in the companies actively creating the solutions — the innovators in AgTech, biotech, fermentation technologies, regenerative ingredients, diversified supply chain innovations, and sustainable materials.

Creating VegTech™ Invest

Dr Sasha Goodman, CIO for VegTech InvestI didn’t want to invest in high-risk private equity or tiny startups that lacked scale and distribution. I wanted to invest in the companies large enough to drive real impact, with the supply chain infrastructure to transform the global food system. Since no ETF met these criteria, I considered building one myself. This became a reality when I met my VegTech™ Invest business partner and Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Sasha Goodman who, for the same business reasons, had also been on a path to investing in food system transformation in the public markets. This serendipity is how our food innovation ETF was born.

Today, our ETF is the first US thematic to focus on sustainable food system transformation, investing in companies leading the way toward a resilient food future. We are proud that Ethos ESG has recognized our fund as carbon neutral without buying offsets. The companies in our fund have a global warming potential of just 1.18 degrees Celsius — well below the Paris Accord’s 1.5-degree target and significantly lower than the S&P 500’s projected 2.86-degree impact. We believe we have firmly captured the growth and impactful large-scale opportunity of food system transformation.

Investing in the Future of Food

By investing in the innovators redefining how we feed the world, we are investing in a more sustainable, resilient, and secure future. For investors seeking both high-growth potential financial returns and meaningful impact, our fund provides an opportunity to participate in a transformation that is already underway.

What started as a personal journey has become a professional mission. Food systems transformation isn’t just an investment thesis — it’s an investment in the future of our planet and its people. And for those of us willing to embrace this change, the potential rewards—both financial and societal — will be profound.

You can learn more at VegTechInvest.com.

Read Elysabeth’s November 2024 GreenMoney article “The Growth and Impact Potential of Investing in Food System Transformation”.

 

Article by Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech™ Invest, Advisor to the Food Innovation ETF, and the voice of sustainability for Advisorpedia magazine, hosting the Upside & Impact: Investing for Change podcast.

Energy & Climate, Featured Articles, Food & Farming, Impact Investing, Sustainable Business

15 Yrs After its Launch, GINN Examines the Future of a $1.5 Trillion Market

15 Years After its Launch, GIIN Examines the Future of a $1.5 Trillion Market

> Back to March/April 2025 Issue

Elizabeth Yee of the Rockefeller Foundation (left) and Dr. Chelsea Clinton of the Clinton Foundation stands with Sapna Shah and Amit Bouri of the GIIN to mark 15 years of impact investing at the GIIN’s 15 Year Anniversary Reception. (Courtesy of The GIIN)

The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) was launched at Clinton Global Initiative 2009 Annual Meeting.

Over the past 15 years, impact investing has grown to advance global solutions for climate resilience, global healthcare, housing, energy, and more.

Partnerships with CGI and The Rockefeller Foundation will continue to be critical to the future of impact investing.

In 2009, on the main stage of the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, President Bill Clinton stood next to Amit Bouri and his founding partners as they launched a new idea: the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). The GIIN started as a 22-member community of investors committed to using their investing power not only to produce financial gains, but also to produce social and environmental benefits.

Bouri, CEO of the GIIN, recalled President Clinton going slightly off-script during his remarks to say, “This is one of those ideas that you’re not really sure if it’s going to work…but if it does, it can really change the world.”

Recently, at The Rockefeller Foundation, the GIIN marked 15 years as a global champion for impact investing, and leader of a movement that continues to leverage capital to advance global solutions in the fields of sustainable agriculture, energy, healthcare, and more. Dr. Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, joined Bouri and cross-sector colleagues to discuss the current state of impact investing and look ahead to the next 15 years.

For an anniversary event, the focus was squarely on the future.

“People are excited about leveraging capital to solve these social problems. It’s not just about return, so many institutions are now prioritizing impact investing funds and seeing that change in the world is really remarkable,” said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation.

“But as funding gaps widen and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) go unmet, now is the time to take the work further and faster,” she said.

According to Clinton, the future of impact investment must include more cross-sector perspectives at the table, more investments in proven solutions, all while remaining aligned on an equitable mission to make tangible impacts.

“CGI will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year,” Clinton said, as she described President Clinton’s work to make AIDS drugs more accessible through the Clinton Health Access Initiative or CHAI, which informed the creation of CGI. For both the GIIN and CGI, partnerships played a pivotal role in the creation and sustainability of their work and will continue to be a key to success in the future.

“There’s real power in the diversity of perspective,” Bouri said, “and a real potential in helping unlock new solutions, new thinking, and also build bridges and understanding. And that continues to be necessary today.”

“We all can bear witness to the power of partnership in our own lives, particularly when we have partners from across the different sectors because we understand that different actors have different kinds of fluency with starting something versus scaling something versus sustaining something,” Clinton said.

They also discussed the importance of amplifying what’s working. Today, Clinton said, we know how to dramatically improve outcomes for global healthcare, climate resilience, and more, so in the next 15 years, it’s imperative to pour into those solutions while also developing innovative models for capital to facilitate and sustain progress.

For the next 15 years of the GIIN, Clinton hoped to see more multi-sectoral perspectives within the impact investing community – not only banks, insurers, and university endowments, but also individual investors who share the GIIN’s vision for building a better world. She hoped to use the lessons from what is working to reshape systems for a lasting impact. She also imagined a future where high school and college students are able to see the possibilities of impact investing to build the future they want to see.

 

Learn more at Global Impact Investing Network

Additional Articles, Energy & Climate, Food & Farming, Impact Investing, Sustainable Business

Carbon Clean Companies Financially Outperform Fossil Fuel and Benchmarks

Carbon Clean Companies Financially Outperform Fossil Fuel and Benchmarks

By Andy Behar and Toby Heabs, As You Sow and Corporate Knights

> Back to March/April 2025 Issue

12th Clean200 list shows global sustainable clean energy economy is experiencing exponential growth around the world

As You Sow and Corporate Knights recently released the 12th cohort of the Carbon Clean200™, a global list of 200 publicly traded companies leading the global sustainable clean energy economy. Together, these industry-leading companies generated $2.5 trillion in revenue from services and products that reduce demand for fossil fuels and water, while offering investors more than double the returns of the fossil-fuel-heavy MSCI ACWI Energy Index. They also beat the global benchmark MSCI ACWI by 30% from July 1, 2016, to January 29, 2025.

The latest Clean200 list is available to the public. Clean200 data shows that for the large companies that make up 80% of global market capitalization, sustainable revenues and capital expenditures are growing more than twice as fast as everything else. This trend holds across sectors and regions and puts sustainable companies on a path to dominate the global economy by the end of the next decade, despite political attacks.

Clean200 companies by sector
Clean200 Companies by Sector

Key Findings Include:

• The top 10 companies on the list by revenue include Apple, Contemporary Amperex Technology, Microsoft, Tesla, TSMC, and Volkswagen.

• Thirty-five countries are represented in the Clean200, including the U.S. (41), China (21), Japan (18), Germany (14), and France and Canada (11 each).

• Clean200 companies earned over $2.5 trillion in sustainable revenue during 2023 (the most recent year for which full year results are available).

• Clean200 companies generated a total return of 190.9% on a sustainable revenue-weighted basis outperforming the MSCI ACWI index (162.0%) and the MSCI ACWI/Energy Index of fossil fuel companies (76.7%) on Total Return Gross — USD Basis from the Clean200 inception of July 1, 2016, to Jan. 29, 2025.

• $10,000 invested in the Clean200 on July 1, 2016, would have grown to $29,090 by Jan. 29, 2025, versus $17,670 for the MSCI ACWI/Energy benchmark for fossil fuel.

• The industrial sector accounts for 52 companies on the list, followed by the Information Technology (32), and consumer discretionary and materials (29 each). IT companies had the highest total sustainable revenue, a cumulative total of over $687 billion.

The top 10 companies that contributed the most to the Clean200’s performance over the past year were from China (3), the U.S. (2), France (2), Taiwan (1), Germany (1) and the U.K. (1). They include sustainably-certified tech hardware, electric vehicles, and electric rail equipment.

“In 2016, we created the Clean200 in response to investors saying, ‘If we divest fossil fuels, there is nothing to invest in,’” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow and report co-author. “The Clean200 has consistently demonstrated that the ‘clean energy’ future of eight years ago is now the clean energy present. This year, the scale and global diversity of leading companies continue to expand and redefine the term ‘cleantech’ to be any company with products and services that will reduce demand for fossil fuels and water.”

“It is telling that clean energy stocks generated more than double the returns of fossil fuel stocks since 2016, despite political headwinds, underlining that stock markets care more about economic materiality of the parabolic growth in clean energy than the political leanings of the day,” said Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights and report co-author.

The Clean200 utilizes the Corporate Knights Sustainable Revenue database, which tracks the percentage of revenue companies earn from sustainable economy themes ranging from green power to electric vehicles to plant protein and smart buildings.

The list excludes companies that are flagged on Corporate Knights Red Flag Companies List and As You Sow’s Invest Your Values suite of mutual fund transparency tools that identify companies involved in fossil fuels, deforestation, the prison industrial complex, weapons, and tobacco, as well as Corporate Knights’ exclusionary screens which form part of its Global 100 methodology.

“We will continue to track and share the emergence of the clean energy economic powerhouse,” Behar continued. “There is clear financial evidence showing a broad spectrum of companies defining this economic transformation away from an extractive economy and into a regenerative economy based on justice and sustainability. The job growth and resilience demonstrated by these companies are our greatest hope in controlling climate change and achieving a safe, just, and sustainable world that benefits all.”

 

About As You Sow
As You Sow is the nation’s leading shareholder representative, with a 30-year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility and advancing values-aligned investing. Its issue areas include climate change, ocean plastics, pesticides, racial justice, workplace diversity, and executive compensation.

About Corporate Knights
Founded in 2002, Corporate Knights is an independent media and research company committed to advancing a sustainable economy. Corporate Knights maintains the Sustainable Economy Intelligence Database, which is the research engine behind its flagship ranking of The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, and was recently selected by Climate Arc to provide green revenue and CapEx data for the companies being targeted by Climate Action 100+.

** As You Sow and Corporate Knights are not investment advisors, nor do we provide financial planning, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in the Carbon Clean200 Report shall constitute or be construed as an offering of financial instruments or as investment advice or investment recommendations. **

Additional Articles, Energy & Climate, Food & Farming, Impact Investing, Sustainable Business

Women are transforming business and philanthropy-CNBC Changemakers 2025

Women are Transforming Business and Philanthropy: CNBC Changemakers 2025

By Julia Boorstin, CNBC

> Back to March/April 2025 Issue

Key Points

• The second annual CNBC Changemakers list of women transforming business and philanthropy recognizes leaders whose accomplishments span many fields and innovations.

• Companies on the list, from the latest startups to large multinationals, are valued by the market at a total near $400 billion.

• Some of the names are well known, but doing new things, like Jennifer Garner and Paris Hilton. Some who are not household names are solving major problems in women’s health and with AI.

The second annual CNBC Changemakers list of women who are transforming business and philanthropy, which was launched in late February 2025, recognizes leaders whose accomplishments span many fields and innovations: biotech breakthroughs, AI advances, women’s health, and new products and services, many focused on female consumers. Each has accomplished a meaningful achievement in 2024, propelling a major business to a new level of growth or tackling an essential societal issue.

This group of women includes a dozen startup founders leading companies with a total combined valuation of more than $11 billion, and they’ve raised more than $2 billion from investors. The nine public company CEOs on the list run organizations with a combined market capitalization of about $385 billion.

In all, the companies span fourteen sectors, including nine women in the broader umbrella of media, entertainment and sports, six in the financial services industry, and six in the business of food and restaurants. Aerospace/defense, construction, real estate, and pharma/biotech are also represented. Three women on the list are running philanthropic organizations, and there are two women recognized for their achievements in government.

Since November, we’ve been gathering nominations and, with guidance from the Changemakers Advisory Board, evaluated the applicants’ impact through both quantitative and qualitative lenses. Our nominees submitted information about the size and scope of their nominees’ impact. Then, with our team of advisors, and reporters from across CNBC, we assessed the degree to which each candidate has driven change — in their companies and beyond. There are so many accomplished women; our list is differentiated by focusing on their particular impact in the past year.

In putting together this list, CNBC identified a couple of key trends. Like last year’s inaugural list, these leaders are pursuing purpose along with profits, creating businesses whose success is aligned with social or environmental good.

Toyin Ajayi, CEO of Cityblock Health, co-founded the health-care provider to improve the health of lower-income communities, by offering not just medical care, but also mental health, and help navigating social services.

Honest Company CEO Carla Vernón is pursuing the company’s mission to make sustainably-designed and cleanly-formulated products accessible to parents.

Cassandra Morales Thurswell created plastic-free shampoo bars to make affordable hair care, also sustainable.

And Emma Grede, founding partner and chief product officer of Skims, co-founded Good American, a size-inclusive brand, to give an underserved market more options, and she’s using her platform to drive change. She’s chairman of The Fifteen Percent Pledge, a nonprofit working with retailers to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.

Another key trend: Women tackling health-care needs, often their own. Stripes Beauty founder and chief creative officer Naomi Watts is leading a transformation in the way women talk about and treat menopause. Joanna Strober’s startup, Midi Health, offers a virtual clinic, including hormonal and non-hormonal medications, along with supplements and lifestyle coaching, for women aged 40-plus. These two women are tapping a market with enormous potential.

Other Changemakers are focusing on giving consumers more information about their bodies. Katherine Stueland is CEO of GeneDX, which provides genomics testing to help with diagnosis, treatment, and drug discovery, while Michal Mor and Merav Mor, twin sisters and triathletes, co-founded Lumen to measure and track metabolism to provide personalized nutrition.

While most leaders are focused on AI, this group of Changemakers is on the cutting edge, not just of AI development, but also its safe and practical implementation. Lila Ibrahim, chief operating officer of Google DeepMind, is working to ensure that AI is deployed, not just responsibly, but as a force for good, to find medical breakthroughs. Meanwhile Aily Labs’ Bianca Anghelina is building tools to improve corporate decision-making, and Accenture’s chief AI officer, Lan Guan, helps the firm’s thousands of clients develop customized AI strategies. In 2024, Guan led the fastest growth in an emerging technology in Accenture’s history, booking $3 billion in generative AI-related business for the firm.

Our goal in launching the Changemakers list last year was to highlight leaders who have defied the odds. Women comprise 11% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and that’s a record high. As a result, nearly all of the women on the list come from Fortune 500 industries or sectors where women are severely underrepresented in CEO roles. Some, such as Taylor Morrison CEO Sheryl Palmer, are the only female CEOs in their sector. Palmer has embraced the distinction, leveraging her position to create opportunities for other women. Taylor Morrison says the company’s female workforce reached 44% in March of 2024, four times the construction industry average.

Palmer’s employee base illustrates a trend: female leaders are more likely to have more women reporting to them in leadership roles and a diverse workforce. And this is true of this year’s Changemakers: 29 other women on the list say at least half their workforce is female. And 30 say at least half their direct reports are women.

Outside of the Fortune 500, women face an uphill climb as well. Venture capital funding to female-founded companies has actually declined, to 2% last year, while companies with female and male co-founders drew nearly 21%. (That means all-male founding teams drew over 77% of all VC dollars last year). And there is data showing that the progress women are making to close gender gaps in leadership is “fragile,” as Sheryl Sandberg warned after the LeanIn/McKinsey report found a weak pipeline into CEO roles.

The women who succeed, despite those odds, are by definition, exceptional, and their stories, which reveal grit, perseverance, and creativity, are an inspiration. We will be celebrating these Changemakers on April 8 in Los Angeles. Please join me there for a series of interviews and conversations about leadership, innovation, understanding consumers, how to lead culture, and strategize for the future.

Our lineup for the April 8 Summit includes some of this year’s Changemakers: Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios; Paris Hilton, founder, CEO 11:11 media; Chelsea Hirschhorn, founder and CEO of baby, pregnancy and fertility product company Frida; TIAA’s CEO of Retirement Solutions, Kourtney Gibson; education company Guild’s CEO Bijal Shah, and Merav and Michal Mor, the co-founders and inventors of Lumen.

The 2025 CNBC Changemakers – Here’s the full list of women transforming business

 

Article by Julia Boorstin, CNBC’s Senior Media & Tech Correspondent based at the network’s Los Angeles Bureau. She covers media and tech with a focus on their intersection and technological innovation, and delivers reporting, analysis, and interviews for the network. Boorstin also leads CNBC’s “Fast Forward,” a franchise focused on where media and tech companies are heading in the future, and the “AI Impact” series, which examines the risks and opportunities in the AI technological race.

Additional Articles, Energy & Climate, Food & Farming, Impact Investing, Sustainable Business

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