The equity investment will be funded primarily by AIG Brazil Special Situations Fund II, L.P. ("BSSF II") and Louis Dreyfus Commodities CA Holdings Ltd. BSSF II is a private equity fund focused on direct investments primarily in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. AIG Investments recently announced the Fund's closing with US $691.9 million in committed capital.

 

Calyx Agro plans to capitalize on the region's growing agribusiness sector and potential for farmland appreciation by acquiring land that is presently operating with low technology or used for livestock breeding. In turn, the company will seek to improve production yields, which is expected to ultimately drive a higher resale value of the land.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities, one of the world's leading commodity merchants and processors of agricultural products, has merchandised and traded bulk commodities in international markets since 1851. Louis Dreyfus Commodities owns or operates considerable industrial assets around the world to conduct its global trading and merchandising activities. As a result, Louis Dreyfus Commodities is consistently ranked as one of the world's largest merchandisers of grains and oilseeds, is one of the three world's largest producers of orange juice (15% global market share), is the third largest producer of sugar in Brazil, the world's biggest exporting country, and is the largest trader and merchandiser of raw cotton in the world. The company is also a leader in the coffee, rice, metals and freight markets. Louis Dreyfus Commodities has an emerging worldwide presence in the expanding biofuels sector, including a leading position in the Brazilian ethanol market. Louis Dreyfus Commodities operates from five major regions (Argentina, Brazil, North America, Europe and Asia), and offices in Beijing, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Geneva, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Wilton (USA) serve as major coordination centers for merchandising activities. Louis Dreyfus Commodities is an affiliate of the Louis Dreyfus Group, an organization of diversified companies privately owned by the Louis-Dreyfus family. The global activities of Louis Dreyfus Commodities are vertically integrated under a holding company, Louis Dreyfus Commodities BV, which is based in the Netherlands.

 

AIG Investments is a global leader in asset management with extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, hedge, private equity, and real estate investments. Member companies of AIG Investments manage more than US $750 billion in assets and employ over 2,500 professionals in 46 offices around the world as of March 31, 2008. AIG Investments is the asset management arm of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG)

 

 

Ana Vigon, Managing Director and Head of Latin America Private Equity at AIG Investments

 

Marcelo Aguiar, a Director based in Sao Paulo, who led AIG Investments' participation in the transaction

 

Serge Schoen, Chief Executive Officer of Louis Dreyfus Commodities.