Rabobank Group

The projects we support in Africa are as diverse as the continent itself. We adapt our activities to the specific needs of the countries in which we operate. In Ghana and the Ivory Coast, for example, we primarily support cocoa farmers. In Senegal, Mali and Rwanda, where small farmers have limited access to financial services, we provide aid to savings and credit cooperatives.

We see potential in helping small-scale farmers to grow, which will contribute to rural employment and food security. The rising demand for sustainable products is also profiting farmers. The Rabobank Foundation works with its customers to achieve certification and improve productivity. Furthermore, technological advances in Africa are driving increased transparency and efficiency, and helping to make banking easier and more accessible.

Case study: Mozambique chilli project
Farming in Mozambique is largely subsistence. Farmers lack the money and knowledge to grow more than their own food. In addition, as all the land is state owned, there is no incentive to cultivate it. However, one group of farmers is reaping much higher returns since they switched to growing export-quality chilli peppers for the Mozambique Organicos Lds (MOL).
MOL provides the farmers with the necessary equipment and training. The peppers are then shipped abroad for use in chilli products such as Tabasco®. In addition, the project employs more than 60 people to process the peppers, boosting rural employment.
The Rabobank Foundation is the main guarantor for a loan provided to MOL by a local bank. The money will be used to buy materials for the farmers and optimise MOL’s business operations.

Asian countries differ vastly in terms of affluence, economic growth and development. As such, the activities of the Rabobank Foundation in the region are driven by local needs and a growing awareness of sustainable agricultural production.

In Indonesia, for example,  we support a biogas programme for small dairy farmers and projects to make sugar palm production more sustainable. We are involved in projects to train Vietnamese coffee and cocoa growers in sustainable farming methods.  In neighbouring Laos, where farmers are now allowed to formally organise themselves, we help to set up cooperatives.  We fund small cooperatives for Filipino farmers producing seeds for the East-West Seed Group, which works to uplift vegetable growers through modern farming practices. 

In India, the Rabobank Foundation supports community-owned and managed microfinance organisations that share their profit with their customers. Although India is a fast-growing economy , it has a massive population still living in poverty. These 300 million people rely on microfinance to improve their position.

Case study: Vietnam coffee project
The Rabobank Foundation is helping to transform Vietnam’s cooperatives into viable businesses. In the past, cooperatives were mostly state-owned and had little autonomy. These ‘new style’ cooperatives are based on economic principles. This means they are independent organisations that offer their members, the farmers, cost-effective services and a share of the profits.
The Lam Vien coffee cooperative is one example. Recognising that better organised farmers would make coffee production in Vietnam more sustainable, Lam Vien is a venture between the  Rabobank Foundation, the Dutch agricultural ministry and coffee retailer Douwe Egberts. Its  members are taught how to farm using fewer chemicals and at same time produce more coffee. Not only will these farmers earn more, but as an organised entity they have greater bargaining power and a stronger overall position in the coffee chain.

In Latin America, the Rabobank Foundation focuses mainly on rural savings and credit cooperatives.

In Peru, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Mexico we help coffee and cocoa growers to improve and market their products. We support potato farmers in Peru, as well as a programme to improve the quality of alpaca wool (a type of llama). People living in the non-arable Andes mountains can then trade the wool for food.  In Brazil, our focus is on microfinance activities in the deprived north and north-eastern parts of the country.

A large portion of our Latin American trade financing portfolio has been transferred to the newly established Rabo Rural Fund. This provides an alternative source of funding for organisations producing coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugar and nuts.

Case study: Potato project in Peru
In the mountainous highlands of Peru, almost two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line and there is widespread illiteracy. Potato farming is the main source of income. However, traditional low returns led to mass migration to the cities. In a bid to reverse this trend, the Rabobank Foundation is financing a project to improve the farmers’ livelihoods.

The farmers are now growing colourful varieties of potatoes that are used to make premium crisps for French supermarkets. This generates significantly more revenue for the farmers – up to 150%. In addition, they are being taught organic farming methods, with the objective of becoming Fair Trade and organically certified. This will again increase their earnings.