Agri Business Review: Specials Magazine

CRESUD operates in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia on an agricultural basis, enabling large agricultural properties to remain productive amid fluctuating market conditions. CRESUD's crop, livestock and sugarcane operations all participate under the same business plan, diversifying income sources and minimizing risk from concentration in a single product category. Sometimes a drought condition could negatively affect planting operations in one part of the world while livestock prices increase significantly, maintaining agriculture stable overall. Integrated Land and Production Management Origins trace back to 1936 when rural financing and land administration formed the basis of the business before agricultural production became the primary focus. Expansion developed gradually afterward through farming operations, cattle activities and farmland development across South America as demand for productive agricultural land continued to rise throughout the region. Under Alejandro Elsztain’s leadership, CRESUD expanded into one of Latin America’s largest agricultural companies, managing more than 850,000 hectares across diversified crop, sugarcane and cattle operations, while agricultural commercial services also operate through FyO. BrasilAgro later expanded regional operating depth across neighboring cultivation corridors. “We believe South America has a unique opportunity to play a leading role in global food production. For decades, we have focused on combining operational efficiency, technology and sustainable agricultural production, while also developing and enhancing the value of farmland assets across the region,” says Alejandro Elsztain, CEO of CRESUD. Running farmland at that scale requires coordination that goes beyond traditional farm management. CRESUD evaluates acquisition through a practical lens, including soil quality, access to water, drainage and long-term land productivity. Once the property enters the portfolio, the focus shifts toward maintaining reliable output through irrigation improvement, soil conditioning and coordinated field management designed to preserve consistency over time. CRESUD reduces commodity exposure by operating cereals, oilseeds and sugarcane alongside cattle activity, creating a more distributed production structure when drought conditions, export restrictions or currency instability begin affecting individual categories. A dry spell, changes in export rules or currency swings can hurt one part of the business, but not always all of it at the same time. Cattle can also help relieve stress during difficult planting years. With year-to-year fluctuations in crop returns in a given area, it would be a valuable asset to have a livestock element to add stability and cash flow.