Contents Management report Corporate governance Consolidated financial statements Financial statements Pillar 3
access to (business) networks, such as establishing contacts
with other local or regional cooperatives;
advice, support in manpower, sparring partner;
resources and products such as payments or insurances, and
raising awareness through online and offline promotion
channels.
Support of collective local social initiatives has been in place at
local Rabobanks, Rabobank Foundation and Rabo Development
for some time now. As a result, we can see that the goals for
2020 that are mentioned in the KPIs in the Netherlands have
already been realised (amply), and that we are supporting
230 cooperatives in developing countries.This strengthens
our idea that we can reach our target groups and provide the
desired support. A challenge in this area is the financing of new
cooperatives as these inspiring initiatives often - for example
due to a lack of equity - cannot be financed via traditional
banking. A possible solution could be to combine various
alternative forms of financing. In 2016, we aim to make more
information about this available.
Rabobank Foundation
Rabobank Foundation is the public fund of Rabobank,
offering disadvantaged people a better outlook by making
them self-sufficient. It has been active for over 40 years.
In the Netherlands, the foundation focuses on vulnerable
groups' participation in society. The foundation's activities
include cooperating with social welfare organisations and
social enterprises to encourage labour participation of people
who are far-removed from the labour market, to make people
financially self-sufficient and to make sports accessible
for people with disabilities and for children who grow up
in poverty.
In developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America,
Rabobank Foundation supports small-holder farmers in building
an independent existence. We strengthen cooperatives and
their members and in this way also support to the Banking for
Food strategy of Rabobank.The Rabobank Foundation provides
cooperatives with working capital loans and investments.
Sometimes this is done in the form of a guarantee via a local
Rabobank or a partner bank of Rabo Development. As a result,
the cooperative has access to resources to issue loans to its
members under fair market conditions.
At the end of 2015, Rabobank Foundation was supporting
a total of 290 projects with 230 project partners, chiefly
production cooperatives and savings and credit cooperatives
across 26 countries. In the Netherlands, the Rabobank
Foundation supports 55 projects. At the end of 2015,
Rabobank Foundation had more than EUR 29 (29) million
in outstanding loans and guarantees. In addition, in 2015
an amount of more than EUR 2 (3.8) million was approved for
technical assistance and small donations. 65 local Rabobanks
are involved in an 'adoption project'of Rabobank Foundation
outside of the Netherlands and 61 local Rabobanks have joined
a Rabobank Foundation project in the Netherlands.
O Read more about Rabobank Foundation here.
Rabo Development
Worldwide, two billion adults do not have access to financial
resources, especially in rural areas.The agribusiness sector,
which in many development countries has a large share in
the national economy, is neglected by financial institutions.
Offering access to financial resources has been proven to result
in a positive contribution to economic growth, and in a more
equal division of welfare in developing countries.
Rabo Development is committed to improving access to
financial resources in developing countries with substantial
potential in the food and agri industry. The foundation of its
approach is formed by the cooperative ideas and the banking
knowledge of Rabobank.
Currently, Rabobank has non-controlling interests in seven
banks in East Africa and Latin America. At the end of 2015,
URCB (China) was no longer part of Rabobank; we sold our
share of 9%. See also page 390 for the list of Rabobank
entities. All partnerships are based on the shared ambition to
promote access to financial services, especially in rural areas.
Rabo Development helps these organisations to improve their
growth, innovativeness and financial position by providing
additional capital and expertise among other things.
O Read more about Rabo Development here.
58 Rabobank Annual Report 2015
