Second, local Rabobanks are now better equipped to deal with the higher regulatory pressure;
we make a point of focusing on the bigger picture rather than checking every detail.
In implementing regulations, the local Rabobanks will be assisted by quality teams. At the same
time, there is greater consistency in terms of the quality of the regulations.
This has enabled us to devote more time and attention to customers, while at the same time
allowing the bank to implement complex regulations faster. With a growing number of our
processes being automated, regulatory pressure will further subside at local Rabobanks in
the future.
Sustainability
Our targets, objectives and activities build on existing activities and constitute a key element of
the strategy of Rabobank and its various entities.
Sustainability is part of how we give expression to what it means to be a cooperative today,
which certainly also extends to the services we provide to our customers. In Banking for Food,
the name we give to the agricultural and food strategy we are currently developing,
sustainability is a key element of our contribution to society and the high-quality customer
services we provide, which enable us to compete on a global scale. Our contribution to society
centres on the issues of sustainable agriculture and food supply and vital communities.
These two issues are in keeping with our identity, history and background, as well as addressing
several significant global and local social challenges. In fact, we selected them on the basis of
our global market position in agriculture and food, our market leader position in the
Netherlands, and our knowledge, objectives and principles as a cooperative organisation.
We aim to serve our customers and members by providing them with up-to-date, high-quality
expertise in sustainability, in order to connect customers, experts and other stakeholders within
value chains, and to help them build valuable networks on a regional scale. We expect our
employees to stand out by their expertise and participation in these networks. At the same time,
we also share our views in the public debate in order to promote sustainable development.
In 2014, the Central Delegates Assembly ratified our targets and objectives for sustainable
development. All the organisational entities involved in these efforts set out to achieve our new
sustainability objectives and targets in 2014 with great energy and drive. Local Rabobanks use
their role in the local business community to capitalise, together with their members and
customers, on the opportunities and challenges offered by sustainability. They will maintain and
further strengthen their position in the market in the coming years in relation to sustainability.
In order to support local Rabobanks in these efforts, a number of tools have been developed to
integrate sustainability into our policy plans and management reports.
Another area of focus in 2014 was sustainability in lending, and we also began incorporating
practical examples of sustainability in the courses we provide. The presentation 'Sustainability
Continuity' was well attended during the training days for credit analysts, account managers
and loan application officers, who learned how to make sustainability a more important factor
in their work. Finally, more than 60 directors of local Rabobanks attended a Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) workshop, which focused on testing a customer's sustainability
performance when reviewing loan applications.The 'Advanced Sustainable Banking'workshop
further expands on this subject. Both workshops were rated very highly by participants and will
be offered again in 2015.
Annual Report 2014 Rabobank Group
