Ben Palen leads Farrelly Mitchell’s North American operations and brings more than 35 years of hands-on experience in sustainable food, agriculture and farmland investment, and agribusiness management across the US and international markets. His expertise spans large-scale land development, irrigation planning, precision farming, and the optimisation of agricultural assets. Throughout his career, Ben has advised family offices, institutional investors, and multinational agribusinesses on building resilient farmland portfolios and improving long-term financial and environmental performance.
His work has taken him across North America, the Middle East, and Africa, where he has delivered projects involving everything from modern irrigation systems to integrated farm infrastructure and technology deployment. Ben’s leadership includes co-managing a $200 million agribusiness in Saudi Arabia, overseeing operations across 30,000 acres and delivering measurable gains in crop yields, cost efficiency, and water use. He also played a key advisory role in the development of a 20,000-acre irrigation project in Zimbabwe.
With a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University and early career experience at Milbank Tweed and Merrill Lynch, Ben brings a valuable legal and financial perspective to agricultural investment and operational planning. He has led detailed due diligence exercises, negotiated complex land and water rights transactions, and developed data-driven systems for zone mapping, water budgeting, and climate-smart farming.
A regular contributor and a speaker at international food and agribusiness conferences, Ben is known for his insights into farmland markets, sustainable land use, and the emerging role of agriculture in carbon and natural capital markets. Ben combines strategic advisory skills with deep technical knowledge, making him a trusted partner for clients looking to enhance the value, resilience, and sustainability of their food and agricultural investments.
