Monllor Capital Partners LLC (MCP), announced today that the Puerto Rico Opportunity Zone Fund, LP (PROZ), the first private equity firm fund focused on ESG investing in Opportunity Zones throughout Puerto Rico, made an investment in Fusion Farms, a company leading Controlled Environment Aquaponics (CEAq) agricultural technology innovation in Puerto Rico.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which destroyed 80% of Puerto Rico’s farms, many farmers today are forced to leave the island for work, while more than 90% of the island’s food is imported. Food access in Puerto Rico has become increasingly limited, expensive, and precariously reliant on mainland economies. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic, has exposed a broken food supply chain and highlighted the need for hyper-local food production. The demand for high quality, fresh and highly nutritious produce has increased significantly, which has led Fusion Farms to expand its operation in Mayagüez and to evaluate locations in other industrial parks throughout the island. Fusion Farms is building and managing modern, sustainable, and hurricane-protected indoor agricultural solutions for Puerto Rico, creating production ecosystems of CEAq-grown, non-GMO, leafy greens that are fueled by chemical-free and hormone-free fish, using collected rainwater and renewable energy sources.
Managing Partner Jose A. Torres and his team at MCP see a perfect fit between PROZ’s mission and Fusions Farms’ business model that bring sustainability, food security and resiliency to the people of Puerto Rico.
“Dr. Anabelle Morales Droz and the team at Fusion Farms can grow 9-12 times the annual yield of traditional farming with only 10% of the water usage, paving the way for a more sustainable agriculture model in Puerto Rico. In addition, the hurricane-protected indoor facilities provide food security and resiliency for the people of Puerto Rico” said Jose Torres, whose fund seeks to make ESG investments in qualified opportunity zone businesses throughout Puerto Rico.
“At Fusion Farms, we are paving the way for repeatable, scalable food production while pushing forward extensive scientific research on closed-loop aquaponic ecosystems. This kind of agricultural innovation is becoming increasingly critical for sustaining the food supply of large populations of at-risk communities in the face of uncertain economies and climatic challenges.” Said Dr. Anabelle Morales Droz President and Chief Science Officer at Fusion Farms.
Since the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, investors can invest capital gains in a Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) and receive significant tax incentives. The tax incentives include the deferral of the capital gain tax through 2026 tax year and more importantly, no capital gain tax on profits made after a minimum 10-year hold period. In the case of Puerto Rico, where nearly the whole island is a QOZ, investors can achieve these attractive tax benefits while helping the recovery and resilience of the Puerto Rican people and economy.
About Monllor Capital Partners LLC
Monllor Capital Partners (MCP) was founded in late 2018 by Jose A. Torres, an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in private equity and investment banking. MCP, a minority-owned alternative asset management and advisory firm based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, focuses on making and facilitating tax advantaged ESG investing in renewable energy, sustainable business, and infrastructure in Puerto Rico. As general partner, MCP organized the Puerto Rico Opportunity Zone Fund, LP, a Qualified Opportunity Fund.
For additional information, visit https://www.monllorcapital.com/
About Puerto Rico Opportunity Zone Fund, LP
Puerto Rico Opportunity Zone Fund, LP (PROZ) is the first private equity fund focused on ESG investing in Opportunity Zones throughout Puerto Rico. PROZ will invest in a diversified portfolio of renewable energy, sustainable businesses, and infrastructure in Puerto Rico Opportunity Zones to take advantage of U.S. and Puerto Rico tax incentives and help accelerate impact investing in Puerto Rico. By only investing in Puerto Rico Opportunity Zones, PROZ will allow Puerto Rico resident taxpayers to benefit from the Puerto Rico Opportunity Zone tax benefits. PROZ is committed to Puerto Rico, Opportunity Zones and ESG.
About Fusion Farms
Fusion Farms builds and manages modern farming solutions using sustainable, controlled aquaponic environments for communities that face environmental, climatic and economic challenges. Taking advantage of the natural relationship between plants and fish, Fusion Farms can regularly and reliably produce a wide variety of green leafy vegetables, herbs, spices, microgreens, fruits and fish for Puerto Rican communities. Its portfolio of products can be purchased in various supermarkets including Econo Supermarkets and other local stores.
Source: https://www.prweb.com/releases/puerto_rico_opportunity_zone_fund_lp_makes_investment_in_fusion_farms/prweb18413566.htm
