In July 2021, Staff Council voted to support a Sustainability Charter Committee Proposal to ask TIAA to address transparency and sustainability issues related to rural land grabs. 

As a follow-up, meetings have been held with leaders from TIAA, Nuveen and Westchester.  TIAA has agreed to meet annually with representatives from the University of Iowa regarding responsible investing updates.

In recent discussions, TIAA shared information in response to questions provided by group members on a number of key topics:

• TIAA’s history and involvement in Responsible Investing
• TIAA’s commitment to continued transparency
• Farmland sustainability at Westchester (TIAA’s Farmland Affiliate)
• Westchester’s approach to investments in Brazil
• The role of institutional capital in farm management

Transparency of information has been a theme throughout conversations.  As part of an effort for more transparency, the following enhanced resources were also highlighted.

• • Updated Interactive Map with land boundaries
    • https://www.nuveen.com/en-us/institutional/investment-capabilities/alternatives/farmland-map
  • QA regarding sustainability and transparency concerns
    • https://www.nuveen.com/en-us/institutional/insights/alternatives/sustainability-q-and-a

Further updates will be shared as they become available