Today, well over 90 investment funds have emerged that are investing directly in farmland, including Rabobank's recently launched Rabo FARM business which focuses on rural resources and primary production. Over the past few years, agriculture's attractiveness has captured the interests of the professional investment community.

One of the cornerstones of the Rabobank Group strategy is a high-quality policy for corporate social responsibility. Within this scope, we have continued to develop our CSR activities and financial services in 2008.

Food safety starts at the beginning of the food supply chain. From farm to fork, all food and agriculture companies are at risk to food safety. "As a food and agricultural financier in Asia, Rabobank emphasises sustainability-oriented banking and sees a shared responsibility in promoting food safety along the whole food value chain," said Robert Jan van Zadelhoff, Head of Rabobank Asia.

Eating chocolate has a 'feel good factor' and is considered an affordable luxury in some countries. However, during the financial downturn, luxury chocolate shops in airports and duty-free gift purchases are likely to suffer a significant drop in chocolate sales. Rabobank sees a sales dip in premium brand chocolates as one of many risks to producers in the report 'Is Chocolate Recession Proof?'

"More than ever, purchasing raw materials at less favourable conditions than competitors can have a huge impact on corporate profitability and, of course, survival," said Rabobank analyst Albert Vernooij in a report released at the Agri Vision conference 16-18 June 2009. Volatility in commodity prices has brought the pricing of raw materials or 'sourcing' back to the table for food and agribusiness profitability in the feed-to-food chain.

"When I was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board in December 2002, the Financial Times described me as a 'banker on a pile of manure'. The Economist now calls this 'proud to be dull,'" said the retiring Bert Heemskerk. The Chairman paused to reflect on his career and take stock of recent developments during his final speech at the Rabobank General Meeting 18 June.

While the earthquake has passed, the aftershocks are still on the way and the damage has only begun to be inventoried. And the process of repairing the damage has not even started yet. This is more or less the situation in which we currently find ourselves. The global economy, which went into free fall from the fourth quarter of 2008, now appears to have reached calmer waters. There are even tentative signs pointing to the prospect of a gradual recovery. Rabobank's Chief Economist Dr. Wim Boonstra explains.

In the Netherlands, Rabobank is maintaining its 84 percent market leader position and continues to finance farmers who show sound entrepreneurship and make strategic choices. In 2008, the bank showed a 17 percent increase in Food & Agribusiness financing volume in the Netherlands compared to 2007. During the first three months of 2009, financing volumes continued to rise in the Dutch sector, said Rabobank on 3 June.

Chairman of the Executive Board Bert Heemskerk spoke on 5 June at the Financial Time's Sustainability Congress in London about the severe impact of the global economic recession on the sustainable energy sector. The combined effect of lower oil and energy prices, and the rising cost of debt financing have made many sustainable energy projects less feasible.

Calculating a water footprint is becoming more important for companies and countries involved in food and agribusiness. Agriculture is the largest water user. Since Rabobank is a major financier of food and agribusiness, water footprint discussions can offer new business opportunities, says Rabobank Water Manager Peter Vos.

Rabobank cycling frontrunner Denis Menchov has won the Giro d'Italia bike race. Despite falling just before the finish, the Russian stayed ahead of his closest rival Danilo di Luca in an all-deciding time trial on Sunday.

An economic contraction is having a healing effect on the current financial crisis, said Rabobank Chairman of the Executive Board. The soon-to-retire Bert Heemskerk does not foresee a depression, but more of a correction in excessive spending. "The world is now waking up to the fact that we have been over-consuming and over-lending, and is returning to its senses," said Heemskerk.

Hip slippers called Plakkies are made from recycled South African car tires and debuted on the Amsterdam runway 13 May. The Rabobank-sponsored project will send proceeds back to the Bronkhorstspruit Region where the sustainable slippers are produced.

Although there is no scientific link between consumption of pork and Influenza A (H1N1), the misnaming of this as "swine" flu has wrongly undermined consumer confidence in pork. When an outbreak is communicated, consumers in that country tend to abandon the meat product during the hottest period of media attention. Pig farmers are feeling the heat right now. Falling demands, falling prices and export bans are unfairly impacting the whole pork industry, says Nan-Dirk Mulder, Rabobank animal protein analyst for food and agribusiness.

Most food and agricultural products are grown and consumed locally. However, like the assembly of cars and electronics devices from components brought together from around the world, the processed food industry can also be seen as a global assembling industry. Harry Smit, Advisor of Rabobank's Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory department explains that assembling is rapidly developing in food & agribusiness.

Organic cotton is now being used to make all Rabobank polo shirts, t-shirts and sweaters. Cotton farmers who use natural fertiliser and natural products for crop protection will also receive a fair price for their organic crops.

President Obama has been in office for 100+ days and has shown considerable ambition in tackling the credit crisis and recession. US economist Philip Marey from Rabobank's Financial Markets Research department, discusses the effectiveness of Obama's policies.

As the new CSR director, Ruud Nijs wants to establish the mindset that being socially responsible is how and why Rabobank does business. In his first column, he explains how CSR is linked in the food & agribusiness.

Because of the economic downturn, the 'back to basics' trend of eating at home is the main cause of a recession in the seafood industry. "The trading down trend is having a significant impact on Western seafood processors, and especially foodservice suppliers," said Rabobank analyst Gorjan Nikolik.

U.S. farmers' outlook on the economy generally mirrors that of the overall population, says a new Rabobank U.S. Farm & Ranch Confidence Survey. More than half of the U.S. farmers surveyed are employing risk management strategies to help navigate through this difficult economic climate.