Farmland versus Alternative Investments Before and After the 2008 Financial Crisis

The years following the 2008 financial crisis have been marked by general economic malaise, yet the period has been relatively prosperous for the agricultural sector. As a result, many investors have recognized the potential for farmland as an investment alternative. This study compares farmland’s risk and return to those of competing investment alternatives. Farmland is shown to be an attractive investment alternative with relatively high mean returns, low variability, low correlation with financial markets, and strength relative to other investments following the 2008 financial crisis.