Investing in Water through Working with Agricultural Communities in the West

Conscience Bay Company is a certified B-corp that invests in commercial real estate, agricultural land, and water assets with a mission to produce economic, social, and environmental returns. Mike Higuera, the Director of Resource Investments, will discuss the company’s strategy for investing in farms and ranches and advancing creative ways to meet increasing demands for water while protecting productive agricultural lands.

Water is extremely scarce in the western United States and is the lifeblood of the area for both people and nature. Increased demand for this limited resource comes primarily from population growth and greater consumption by plants that use more water as temperatures rise. Complicating this problem is the fact that western water law was designed to promote consumption; it does not incent conservation or other creative ways to meet current-day needs. The law is slowly changing but views on how to use water and who is owed what need to change too, particularly in the agricultural community that controls approximately 80% of water used.

By working with the agricultural community, Conscience Bay hopes to move the needle on water use and conservation strategies while increasing the value of the properties it owns. Mike will talk about Conscience Bay’s investment thesis, how the firm gains financial exposure to water through farm and ranch investments, and lessons learned from his work in the field.