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Our impact on society
Growing a better world together
Vision AS9k
KICKSTART FOOD
Banking
for the Netherlands
Contents Introduction Management report Appendices Corporate governance Consolidated Financial Statements Company Financial Statements
Being a meaningful cooperative
Being a meaningful cooperative bank is the essence of what
Rabobank stands for: it is one of the four cornerstones of
our strategy. In a rapidly changing society and in an era of
digitalisation and diminishing trust in institutions, life seems to
revolve more around the individual instead of the community.
People are required to be more independent and self-reliant in
a world of increasing uncertainty.
We see cooperative banking as a forward-looking social
compass in which customers, members, and employees are
actively involved and connected in a network, with each other
and with the bank. We aim to deliver a specific contribution to
society with specific impacts.
Promoting sustainable food supply
As a leading Food Agri bank worldwide, we are committed
to helping solve the global food issue and helping to nourish
the world more sustainably. Banking for Food is our strategic
pillar to help achieve this. To help feed the world's population
in a sustainable way, Rabobank focuses on four major issues
earth, waste, stability and nutrition. We are in continuous
dialogue with our customers in the Food Agri business in
the Netherlands and around the world about their sectors and
how to enhance our joint efforts to make the food chain more
sustainable.
Mission
Facilitate sufficient sustainably
produced and healthy food for
the growing world population
Kickstart Earth
Kickstart Waste
Kickstart Stability
Kickstart Nutrition
Kickstart Food
On the UN's World Food Day in November 2017, we announced
our global 'Kickstart Food'programme, which seeks to
accelerate the transition to a more sustainable food supply.
This programme marks the start of a three-year initiative to
kickstart and scale up Rabobank's support for customers and
partners in the transition to a more sustainable Food Agri
sector.The initiative covers four main kickstart areas: earth.
waste, stability and nutrition. In 2017 we started with Kickstart
Earth. Waste, stability and nutrition will follow in 2018.
Earth, waste, stability and nutrition
Different programmes will address specific areas in which a
sustainable food supply can be stimulated. Kickstart Earth aims
to promote solutions such as integrated crop, livestock and
forestry farming that can help restore and sustain the soil while
increasing crop yields.Through Kickstart Earth we will scale up
these and similar efforts around the world. One of the first
kickstart events was the launch in October 2017 of a USD 1 billion
facility in a partnership with UN Environment and that focuses
on land restoration and forest protection initiatives. With this
partnership, we again renew our commitment to the UN SDGs.
Kickstart Waste will work on reducing food waste throughout
the food supply chain. Kickstart Stability aims to create a more
stable and resilient Food Agri sector. Kickstart Nutrition
focuses on ensuring a healthy and balanced diet for everyone.
Knowledge and networks
Rabobank's research departments, known as RaboResearch,
published 3,600 publications in 2017. We share our knowledge
worldwide via our website, mailings, events and social media.
Researchers and analysts regularly represent Rabobank in
newspapers and on radio and TV. Above all, we deploy our
knowledge for optimal customer service. We analyse economic,
political and financial developments in the Netherlands
and around the world and bring this applied knowledge to
customers so that they can make better decisions.
RaboResearch Global Economics Markets helped our
customers to understand the potential impact of Brexit on the
Dutch economy through a scenario study that was picked up
by the international media. For example, we hosted a Brexit
event at Rabobank's London office which included a roundtable
discussion with companies involved in the animal protein
sector. A group of client CEOs and CFOs attended the event,
along with senior representatives of the bank.
Kickstart Self-suffiency
Kickstart Living environment
Kickstart Entrepreneurship
Rabobank Annual Report 2017 - Management report
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