Upcoming
Appearing
Current
Status Issue
Some of the issues shown in the figure on page 74 that Rabobank discusses with its
stakeholders in the context of sustainable developments are looked at in more detail below.
Dialogue on introducing sustainability in value chains
In 2010, Rabobank gave further concrete form to its sustainability policy through its
involvement with the Schokland Fund and the Corporate Leadership Coalition for Smallholder
Farmer Livelihoods. The Schokland Fund is a Solidaridad initiative in which WWF and three
round tables (RTRS, Bonsucro and RSPO) are also involved. The purpose of the fund is to help
small farmers meet the sustainability standards set by the round tables. The Corporate
Leadership Coalition is a coalition of companies that supply pesticides, fertilisers, seeds,
finance, and communications and water technology to small farmers with the aim of raising
living standards in a sustainable manner.
The 2007-2008 food crisis put long-term food security on the global political agenda,
raising the question of whether it will be possible to feed the world in 2050. In its report,
'Sustainability and security of the global food supply chain', Rabobank called on the food
industry to take responsibility for creating a sustainable global food supply.
In 2010, Rabobank also held extensive consultations with civil society organisations that drew
attention to social issues, such as renewable energy, the arms industry, palm oil production
and animal welfare. In addition to this bilateral dialogue, Rabobank was actively involved in
the multilateral dialogue between producers, transporters, the animal processing industry,
retailers, and civil society organisations in sector-wide round table consultations on improving
sustainability in the palm-oil, soy, sugar and cotton chains. Concrete initiatives aimed at
making food and agribusiness chains more sustainable are encouraged by Rabobank.
Updating of human rights policy
During the year under review, Rabobank participated in the Business and Human Rights
Initiative of Global Compact Network Netherlands. This initiative was the Dutch business
community's contribution to the work of Professor John Ruggie, the UN Special Representative
on business and human rights. Based on the conclusions of the study, Rabobank Group
updated its human rights policy to bring it into line with the international framework for
businesses drawn up by Professor Ruggie. At the end of 2010, the draft version of the
updated human rights policy was ready to be used in internal and external consultations.
