As the dust settles on 2007, the financial markets have left many banks with shaky legs, blurred vision and an uncertain future. Rabobank is still standing and is using 'good' to describe a net profit increase of 14% with EUR 2.7 billion for the year.

The outlook for New Zealand agriculture in 2008 is finely balanced, according to Rabobank's recently released New Zealand Agriculture in Focus Report. Despite a high dollar, increasing input costs, high interest rates and a slowing domestic economy, there is optimism that an emerging soft commodity boom will create opportunities for New Zealand's farmers.

In his own words, Head of CSR Bart Jan Krouwel defines 'corporate social responsibility' and how Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth can help employees understand CSR and inspire a change in behavior to save Mother Earth.

The Chinese Terracotta Army invaded the Netherlands this past weekend with presenting partner Rabobank standing by saluting the new exhibition: Go China!

"China and Japan must invest more in the region in order to prevent a repeat of the 1997 East Asian Crisis." This was a call to action for leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos including Rabobank CEO Bert Heemskerk.

The Rabobank Foundation has a long-standing, global experience in microfinancing. Our initiatives in this area are in line with Rabobank's culture where social responsibility also on an international level, is a top priority. Bert Heemskerk, Chairman of the Rabobank Executive Board talks about microfinancing.

For the Dutch spirits industry, the glass is half empty. Dutch distilleries are on the rocks and must spill over international borders to stay afloat. "In a shrinking market, distillers, traders and retailers need to increase efficiency, manage the decline or revitalize the business," says a Rabobank Dutch Spirits Industry Report.

Robert Gesink has pulled off a difficult feat early in the season already; the young Rabo-rider won the most difficult stage of the Tour of California on Wednesday. The stage was similar to last year's because once again Levi Leipheimer, this time just by himself, was along. The American former Rabo-rider, who won last year in his home country, became the new leader. But the individual performances were not the only ones that counted, the entire Rabo team stood out positively in the stage from Modesto to San Jose.

The US presidential candidates and the US economic challenges may have steered talks away from China, but Jan Lambregts of Rabobank Financial Markets Research brings China's economy back to the podium. In a brief update, Lambregts discusses how China's currency appreciation fits into the broader economic picture for China and also includes the latest USD/CNY forecasts for 2008.

Rabobank has become the first bank in the Netherlands with a specialised cleantech venture capital fund.

In its annual Australian Agriculture in Focus report, Rabobank says continued high global commodity prices and a return to normal seasonal conditions will determine the fortunes of Australia's farmers in 2008.

The Rabobank Pro Cycling Team, currently ranked 8th in the world among professional cycling teams, will enter a team to compete in the 2008 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race, which takes place February 17th – 24th in California.

"We need to make choices for more team spirit and less egoism. Not me, me, me, but we, we, we," announced Bert Heemskerk, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rabobank, to an audience of past and present Rabobank employees in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Your morning glass of Florida orange juice is most likely coming from Brazil. A Food & Agri research report shows how Brazil is dominating the orange juice market. "Brazil is by far the largest orange producer and accounts for roughly 80% of the global orange juice trade," says report author Mariana Gonzalez, Food & Agri Research and Advisory.

The biodiesel industry is booming worldwide, but not yet in India, despite the desire to develop a biodiesel industry. The main reason for this is that vegetable oils, the primary feedstock for biodiesel, are in short supply in India. Cultivating oil seed varieties on the scarce fertile agricultural land for transport fuel purposes could thus raise food security issues. The jatropha curcas tree and similar species are interesting feedstock alternatives.

In 2008, Rabobank wants to focus on team spirit and sustainability. As Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Bart Jan Krouwel is leading the Rabobank team in informing, educating and promoting sustainable activities. In this column, Krouwel defines 'sustainability' for the rest of us, its importance for the Rabobank family and why sustainability is just good business.

Yesterday, Dutch TV interviewed Executive Board Chairman Bert Heemskerk live at the World Economic Forum in Davos. RTL7 TV asked about views on the economy and the findings of fraud at French Bank Société Générale.

The country's farmers have experienced their first decline in confidence in 12 months, according to the latest Rabobank/Nielsen Rural Confidence Survey. The survey – taken across New Zealand last month – showed the number of farmers expecting the rural economy to improve had dropped to 34 per cent, down from 49 per cent in the previous survey (taken in October). The number expecting conditions to worsen had increased to 22 per cent, from 10 per cent previously.

The Rabo ProTeam will ride in its first Tour Down Under, Australia's foremost cycling competition, which will start and finish in Adelaide from Tuesday, January 22nd to Sunday, January 27th. The Aussie trio Graeme Brown, William Walker and Matthew Hayman will be Rabo's spearheads in the gruelling 785 km race to win the Ochre Leaders Jersey.

Jacqueline M. Cramer, the Dutch Minister for Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment opened the two-day European Motor Biofuels Conference in Rotterdam Wednesday with a passionate speech that outlined the government's commitment to EU targets on bio-ethanol. Rabobank was one of the leading sponsors of the event's sixth edition.