Seeking experts - agri-business, fruit and vegetable processing

searcher profile

April 02, 2025

by a searcher from INSEAD in Warsaw, Poland

As part of a DD on the industry I’m looking to chat with people knowledgeable in agri businesses, specifically processing of fruit and vegetables. A few topics I’m particularly keen to learn more about:

  1. Market dynamics – My initial research shows a relatively low forecasted growth rate (~4% CAGR), which feels counterintuitive given tailwinds such as healthier eating habits and reduced meat consumption. How do experts see the market? Are there specific segments that are considered more or less attractive?

  2. Margins – I see large margin variability in the sector (assets report 9-30% EBITDA margin based on my research). I am keen to get thoughts on what drives the range and whether high margins in outliers are typical (e.g., specialisation?) or sustainable in the long term.

  3. Customer dynamics – From conversations so far, it seems customer concentration and stickiness are common in the space. However, I’m curious about the implications for pricing power and margin pressure — what have the experts in the field seen in practice?

  4. Capital intensity – The sector has a moderate CAPEX and working capital, which some investors don't see as a good fit to a search fund model. I’d appreciate yan expert view on how this plays out in practice and what a typical benchmark in the space should be.

    I’d also be really interested to hear more broadly about peoples (investors, searchers, operators) experience with the space — what drew you to the space, and what you find most/least compelling about these types of businesses.

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Reply by a searcher
from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, USA
“such as healthier eating habits and reduced meat consumption“ — Global protein consumption is increasing and will continue to do so, it is not decreasing.
I think you will have a much more informed discussion if you apply your questions to specific sub-industries of Agribusiness. Your prompt is too general for such a big and complex ecosystem. If it is of interest, I’m happy to speak to seed & grain processing.
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Reply by a searcher
from The University of Michigan in San Francisco, CA, USA
Likewise - happy to connect. The ag ecosystem is complex and varies widely by crop and step in the value chain. feel free to message me and can try to help.
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