Caribbean Food Systems Growth Fund
The Caribbean Food Systems Growth (CaribGROW) Fund has been established to transform and scale sustainable food systems across the Caribbean. The Fund is a direct outcome of 17 Asset Management’s partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the Caribbean Food Systems Investment Initiative (CFSII).
Over the past two years, this collaboration has undertaken rigorous research to design an investment strategy capable of transforming the region’s food systems by targeting high-impact opportunities across agriculture and fisheries value chains, as well as the enabling infrastructure required to unlock their growth.
The CaribGROW Fund has a target size of USD 100 million and will invest primarily in growth-stage businesses across the food systems value chain. It will deploy common equity, preferred equity, and revenue-based financing instruments, providing flexible capital that meets the needs of local enterprises while balancing investor return expectations with sustainable impact.
Purpose and Opportunity
CaribGROW is intentionally designed to pioneer a systems-focused equity approach that strengthens food security, expands access to affordable and nutritious food, improves farmer and fisher livelihoods, and builds resilience to climate change — while at the same time:
Generating economic value for business owners,
Delivering attractive returns for investors, and
Complementing the roles of regional financial institutions and development partners.
The Fund will also foster integration with the Caribbean’s tourism and hospitality sectors, reducing the region’s USD 6 billion annual food import bill, a priority aligned with CARICOM’s “25 by 2025” initiative.
Key Differentiators
The CaribGROW Fund is guided by a set of principles that distinguish its design and execution from traditional private equity vehicles:
Equity Orientation – Offering patient, regenerative capital that complements debt and builds long-term enterprise value.
Systems Approach – Targeting leverage points across production, processing, logistics, distribution, and climate-resilient infrastructure to unlock compounding impact.
Agri-Focus – Directly strengthening the region’s ability to feed itself while also developing export potential in high-demand areas such as fresh produce, superfoods, aquaculture, and ag-tech.
Capacity Building – Investing in human capital through a dedicated fellowship program, training the next generation of Caribbean investment professionals in financial modeling, valuation, and private equity practice.
Market Transformation – Normalizing equity as a viable and empowering tool in the Caribbean, overcoming historical mistrust and catalyzing follow-on private and institutional capital to the region.
CALL TO ACTION
The Caribbean Food Systems Growth Fund represents a unique opportunity to combine strong financial returns with systemic transformation in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Are you a business leader in the Food Production ecosystem in the Caribbean, generating revenue and ready to scale? Please use this form to provide us with key details about your company, including uploading relevant materials.
Are you a financial institution or accredited investor interested in investing in the Caribbean region or exposing your portfolio to food systems? Please use this form to express your interest in learning more about the funds.
Do you want to collaborate or share your expertise? We'd love to hear from you.