Sustainability
A new policy framework was presented in 2013 for the way in which
Rabobank seeks to implement sustainability. Rabobank's sustainability
agenda builds on existing activities and is an essential element in
Rabobank Group's strategy up to the end of 2016. In the first instance,
this relates to the strategic plan for the Dutch banking division, in which
sustainability is a key component in the contemporary implementation of
cooperative customer service. In addition, sustainability is a building block
in the strategy for Rabobank's international activities.The most noticeable
synergy are in the bank's food and agri-strategy, where sustainability
constitutes a key element in Rabobank's social contribution and distinctive
customer service on a global scale.
Policy
Rabobank matches its ambitions with those of its customers, with whom it jointly strives for
a healthy balance between wealth and well-being, spearheading the themes of sustainable
agriculture and food supply and vital communities. Rabobank's corporate website contains
a link to the external standards and principles to which Rabobank has committed itself.
Rabobank has formulated the following ambitions for 2020:
We help our clients to accelerate the greening of agriculture and food supply and thereby
also support their business success.
We strengthen the vitality of the communities in which we operate.
We offer all our business customers optimum access to our sustainability knowledge and
cooperate on the basis of a shared understanding of the sustainability performance of our
large corporate clients, enabling them to gradually improve this performance and thereby
achieve long-term business success.
Our retail customers find our products and services easy to understand and clear in terms of
their sustainability impact.
A top 3 position in two leading sustainability ratings of the largest financial services providers
operating worldwide.
At the end of 2013 the portfolio allocation in the Executive Board was changed, as part of which
Mr Marttin became responsible for sustainability. There were no other changes in the reporting
year in terms of the management and organisation of sustainability at Rabobank Group.
More information is available on the corporate website.
Agriculture and food supply
The world's population and consumption are growing continually.The earth now needs eighteen
months to sustainably produce what people consume in a year. Its population is projected to
grow to 9 billion people by 2050, all of whom will want access to sufficient, safe and nutritious
food. The agricultural sector is facing a substantial challenge to meet the growing demand for
food and approach raw materials in a different way. It will not just have to produce more, it will
also have to do so in a more sustainable manner than it already does. Rabobank wants to
27 Sustainability
