The Job I Never Dreamed Of by Joaquin Labella

THE JOB I NEVER DREAMED OF.

I was having a call with a business acquaintance last Friday. Halfway through the conversation, he told me, “I have healthy envy of what you guys are building at The Land Group, as you are at the crossroads of private equity and agriculture.” This left me thinking these past few days.

My background is strictly financial. I trained as an accountant, and after completing my CFA studies while working in London, I aspired to pursue a career in investment banking or private equity. But I have also always had an entrepreneurial side, likely influenced by my grandfather and mother, who were both self-employed.

In 2015, Francisco Roque de Pinho and I partnered to help European family offices and asset managers turn around distressed real assets. This business has since evolved into The Land Group.

What do we do? We support sophisticated investors worldwide in diversifying their portfolios through strategic investments in regenerative agriculture across South America and the Iberian Peninsula. Our strength lies in bridging two very different worlds: we understand the expectations of a family office in London and the realities of a crop or livestock operation in Uruguay. We speak both languages, literally and figuratively, and are able to reconcile the differing perspectives of an investment executive at a desk in the City and a gaucho on horseback in the field. Today, we manage 40,000 hectares and employ 40 people across Uruguay and Paraguay, with ongoing expansion into Argentina, Brazil, and Portugal. Our ambition is to become the world’s leading operator in regenerative agriculture.

One day, a good friend challenged me, enquiring about my credentials in agriculture. I was born and raised in Mercedes, an agricultural hub in Uruguay, and I saw my grandfather working all his life on his farm (he started at age 9 and is still going strong at 91). But his question had merit since I am no agronomist. I replied that I knew enough to understand which agronomists I should surround myself with and was educated and wise enough to make informed decisions based on their input. Ten years later, having learnt a lot about agriculture, I can hold my own and have thoughtful conversations with professionals who are technically more knowledgeable than me.

In my day-to-day job, I manage not only our team of agronomists but also a broad range of other “stakeholders”, including our administrative staff, bank executives, tax advisers, lawyers, notaries, land surveyors, brokers, regulators, fiscal authorities, clients, and prospective investors. I wear many hats, from operations to fundraising, and speak several different languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and a bit of French) in the same day. I am never in my comfort zone and wouldn’t like it any other way.

It may not have been the path I envisioned ten years ago, but building this bridge between private equity and agriculture has become the most fulfilling work of my life.

‍