Brown&Co
Brown&Co co-organises Ambassador visit to Cambridge University Farm to Showcase Innovation and Opportunities for Global Collaboration
Fri 13 Jun 2025
Brown&Co was proud to co-host a distinguished delegation on a recent visit to the University of Cambridge’s 550 hectare working dairy, sheep and arable farm at Madingley, highlighting both cutting-edge agricultural innovation in the UK and exciting trade and investment opportunities overseas—particularly in Paraguay.
Organised by Brown&Co and LEIFF Nature Capital Solutions Ltd, the visit was attended by His Excellency Juan Ernesto Snead, Paraguay’s Ambassador to the UK, and Mrs. Gloria Snead, Honorary Consul for Trade between Paraguay and the UK. They were joined by William Turner (COO, LEIFF), Dr. Belinda Clarke OBE (Director, Agri-TechE), and Brown&Co’s Charles Whitaker, Greg Beeton, Ed Blundy and Pedro Guarderas. The group was welcomed by Farm Manager Paul Kelly and Professor Ian McCrone from Cambridge Veterinary School.
The University’s dairy operation—supporting 213 cows milked using robotic systems—offered the visitors an impressive glimpse into how advanced technology can improve productivity while prioritising animal welfare and providing on farm veterinary experience for the Cambridge University Vet School. A key feature of the visit was the farm’s anaerobic digester, which transforms slurry into biogas, supplying up to two-thirds of the farm’s electricity and helping reduce its carbon footprint by nearly one-third over the last three years.
Beyond innovation, the day also underscored the role of the University Farm in veterinary education. As the only operational dairy facility linked directly with a UK vet school, it provides invaluable real-world learning opportunities for students in animal health, sustainable production, and environmental management across both the dairy and sheep enterprises.
But the visit also looked outward—toward global opportunities. For Brown&Co, the event was a platform to promote bilateral trade, training, and investment, particularly with Paraguay, a country offering compelling prospects in agri-business and natural capital. The visit also included a demonstration and factory visit to Newmarket based Claydon drills who are keen to grow exports for their UK manufactured no-till equipment.
Paraguay is one of the world’s lowest-cost producer of grass-fed beef at scale and presents significant potential for export, investment, and sustainable development. Land values are approximately 15% of UK equivalents, with production costs at around 50%, resulting in potential double-digit returns. In addition, the country’s expanding silvo-pastoral systems—combining livestock and tropical hardwoods—offer carbon sequestration, biodiversity improvements, and long-term income from nature-based revenue streams.
With a 10% corporation tax rate, long-standing political stability, and openness to foreign land ownership, Paraguay is firmly focused on economic growth. It holds a credit rating of BB+ (Standard & Poor’s and Fitch) and Baa3 (Moody’s), underscoring its credibility as an emerging investment destination.
Brown&Co’s involvement in the visit reflects its commitment to fostering both domestic innovation and global opportunity. As a founding member of the International Ag Alliance, the firm supports clients in accessing and managing rural investment projects, both in the UK and abroad, and sees enormous scope in linking world-class education and innovation — such as that offered at Cambridge—with on-the-ground investment and training partnerships in fast-growing regions, such as Paraguay in South America.
We see real synergy between the UK's innovation in sustainable farming and Paraguay’s potential to scale low-cost, high-return agricultural investments. There are exciting opportunities to link education, innovation, trade, and nature-based solutions across international borders.
The day’s discussions opened promising avenues for collaboration—between academia, industry, and international partners—and reflected Brown&Co’s growing role as a connector between innovation and investment.
For more on Brown&Co’s involvement with the International Ag Alliance, visit:
To view a prime Ag investment opportunity in Paraguay Brown&Co are currently marketing, visit:
