The Co-operators has invested money in a sustainable food fund managed by InvestEco Capital.

On July 5, The Co-operators announced that it had made an investment in the InvestEco Sustainable Food Fund II, which focuses on high-growth, expansion-stage private companies in North America that are promoting health and sustainability in the food and agricultural sectors. The dollar amount of the transaction was not disclosed, but the co-operative describes the investment as "significant". The fund is only available to accredited Canadian investors.

Renewable energy

The fund manager is a venture capital company based in Toronto that focuses on high-growth, sustainable firms. Besides the food and agricultural industries, InvestEco has taken positions in private companies that are developing renewable energy, water technologies, resource productivity technologies, and efficient transportation.

"We are committed to impact investing because we believe that our invested assets can and should not only help us meet our organization's financial targets, but also our goal of making communities healthier and more sustainable for future generations," says Bruce West, executive vice-president, finance and chief financial officer at The Co-operators. "We hope that our investment in the InvestEco Sustainable Food Fund II will serve this dual purpose of achieving financial as well as social and environmental returns."