F&F
IBM
UNILEVER
TOYOTA
NOKIA
RABO AGRIFINANCE
AND FREDDIE FARMSTRONG
Rabobank promotes industry
food safety efforts internationally
Americas
Asia
im nn
RIIN THE NEWS
Just the facts &figures
These companies, which became
global concerns having invested and
innovated during a fïnancial crisis,
are proof that financial crises can also
provide a wealth of opportunities.
In stark contrast to the prevailing trend
during the Great Depression of the 1930s,
IBM decided to make investments rather
than avoid them. The company success-
fully launched no less than 27 new
products including calculators, adding
machines and an electric typewriter.
IBM subsequently expanded to become
one of the largest and most successful
companies in the world.
IT WAS DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, NO
LESS, THATTHIS ANGLO-DUTCH COMPANY
DECIDED TO INVEST HUGE AMOUNTS IN THE
MARKETING OF MARGARINE USING THE MOTTO
'GOOD AND CHEAP'. THE IMAGE OF MARGARINE
SOON SOARED, AS DID SALES, AND UNILEVER
SIMPLY GREW LARGER AND LARGER.
Shortly after the Second World War, Japan
suffered a huge economie crisis. There was
a massive shortage of resources, including
raw materials, which meant that Toyota was
left with only one real choice if it were to
survive: to work with the utmost efficiency.
Toyota became the most efficiënt car
manufacturer in the world - and one of
the most successful.
FINLAND FOUND ITSELF IN DIRE
ECONOMIC STRAITS DURING THE EARLY
1990S, AS DID FINNISH COMPANY NOKIA,
WHICH AT THAT TIME MANUFACTURED
PRODUCTS SUCH AS RUBBER, CABLES
ANDTELEVISIONS. SINCE THE COMPANY
WAS ON THE VERGE OF BANKRUPTCY,
ITS MANAGEMENTTEAM DECIDED TO
MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES BY FOCUSING
ITS EFFORTS ENTIRELY ON TELECOM-
MUNICATION. THE REST, OF COURSE,
IS HISTORY.
(Source: Elsevier/Boston Consulting Group)
boAqnhiwe
H.i/wr
Freddie Farmstrong - the orange
and blue Rabo cow - helped pro-
mote Rabo AgriFinance at
the Farm Progress Show on 1-3
September in Illinois, United States.
The Farm Progress Show is the
leading outdoorfarm show in the
US and features the most extensive
state-of-the art information and
technology available for today's
agricultural producers. The
country's top agribusinesses,
plus many regional and local
manufacturers and suppliers, are
regular exhibitors - including
Rabo AgriFinance.
Food safety is a global issue that
has been in the spotlight for a
number of years. As a global leader
in Food and Agri
cultural financing,
Rabobank believes
it has a respon-
sibility to promote
food safety along
the entire food
value chain, and
to facilitate the
sharing of best
practices.
One such Rabobank initiative was sponsoring
the Food Safety Roundtable in Beijing
in April 2009, which was organised by
The GIC Group and attended by over 120
global F&A participants. The Roundtable
concluded that work is required to advance
consumer confïdence, build partnerships
with customers, and harmonise and stream-
line food safety standards and regulations.
The result was the Global Food Safety
Forum (GFSF), set
up by the GIC
to coordinate the
adoption of in
dustry self-certifi-
cation systems for
food quality and
safety, which will
work in tandem
with government
requirements.
Formed in response to industry and con
sumer needs for a reliable international food
safety system, the GFSF will have a special
focus on China. A GFSF Steering Committee
has been established to explore the future
for GFSF as an industry body for certification
and quality control.
6 issue 21 r >Bt P 200 THE WORD
