Banking for Food
The Netherlands is a leader in the food and agriculture sector. Rabobank has contributed to this position through its agricultural origins and aims to continue making a relevant, sustainable contribution to the global food and agriculture sector in the future. Due to population growth and changes in people’s diets, our target is to increase the availability of affordable, nutritious food while respecting producers and the planet. At the same time, our efforts to support and speed up the food transition provide opportunities to strengthen our market position. We seek to maintain our top global position as a food and agriculture bank by helping our clients reduce emissions, avoid waste and make smart, responsible use of scarce land and water resources. With our in-depth knowledge of the sector, we can make a real difference. Through Banking4Food, we want to play a key role in the social debate surrounding the global food transition and thus connect producers and consumers, farmers and citizens. With Rabobank as the market leader in the agriculture sector in the Netherlands, Banking for the Netherlands and Banking4Food are closely intertwined. Our extensive knowledge and networks in the globally leading Dutch food and agriculture sector are at Rabobank’s core.
It’s about more than finance
Rabobank began as a movement of cooperative banks founded by Dutch farmers. More than a century later, food and agriculture (F&A) remains our core international business. We envision a food system that meets rising demand for affordable, nutritious food. One that respects producer livelihoods and the planet. We call it the Banking for Food Strategy.
Do things differently
To feed a growing population long into the future, we have to do things differently: produce more food while using fewer resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Paying fair prices to farmers. With clients and partners at every link in the food value chain – from farm to fork – Rabobank is in the right place to speed up the transition to responsible food production, consumption and everything in between.
People, nature and economy
It’s about more than finance. It all goes back to our cooperative approach: we work together on sustainable food solutions that are good for people, nature and the economy. How? By using our financial expertise, sector knowledge and global F&A networks.
This includes offering new financial tools, like sustainability-linked loans and blended finance solutions, such as the AGRI3 Fund for sustainable agriculture and forest protection. Sharing knowledge is another way we help clients make their businesses future-proof. Thanks to our global team of food and agribusiness analysts, we provide sector-specific insights covering everything from farm inputs to consumer foods. We also support data-driven food- and agtech start-ups through the Rabo F&A Innovation Fund and our FoodBytes! innovation platform.
Joint solutions
Rabobank is an active member of roundtables for sustainability in multiple agribusiness value chains. And for greater challenges, we connect our trusted partners – from business, government, civil society and beyond – to find joint solutions. Together, we are working toward a sustainable and resilient food system that will feed the world for generations to come.