VanEck Future of Food ETF (YUMY) is an actively managed exchange-traded fund that seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in companies engaged in agri-food technology and innovation; this encompasses firms leading, enabling, supplying, disrupting, or benefiting from new environmentally sustainable agriculture and food products and services. The ETF targets global companies across sectors such as process industries, consumer non-durables, and producer manufacturing, with key holdings emphasizing precision agriculture, agricultural sustainability, and food technology; it allocates primarily to large- and mid-cap equities, with approximately 39 holdings where the top 10 account for over 50% of assets. Geographic exposure spans North and Central America (63%), Europe (29%), and Asia Pacific (4%), including significant weightings in the United States (53%), Switzerland (11%), Denmark (5%), and Canada (5%).
Launched in December 2021 by VanEck and listed on NYSE Arca, the ETF was managed from the headquarters of Van Eck Associates Corporation at 666 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017; it featured a net expense ratio of 0.69% and incorporated bottom-up fundamental research by portfolio managers Shawn Reynolds and Ammar James.
In a major development, VanEck announced the liquidation of YUMY in March 2024 due to factors including performance, liquidity, and low assets under management; trading ceased on April 2, 2024, with final cash distributions to remaining shareholders based on net asset value occurring around April 9, 2024. This closure marked a significant operational wind-down for the fund, which had been VanEck's first ETF emphasizing active, sustainability-focused research in the agri-food innovation theme.