The second edition of Rabobank’s Future Farmers Council kicked off
What does the future of farming hold, and what do farmers need from a bank? Twelve next generation farmers and Rabobank clients from seven different countries came together this month to explore these questions during a weeklong comprehensive program in The Netherlands. Together, they form the Future Farmers Council (FFC), a discussion forum with ‘critical thinkers’ set to discuss and drive changes in the Food & Agriculture industry.
Exploring the future of farming with global rural farmers clients
“The council was created by Rabobank in 2021 to gather valuable insights from our rural clients on key topics which impact the future of farming globally”, explains Ricardo González, Chairman of Future Farmers Council and Head of Rural Banking in Argentina.
“How should farmers deal with extreme weather events? What innovations are helpful when we talk about carbon reduction or restoring nature? How to react on criticism in society? These are just some of the questions farmers face while ensuring food security. Besides that, we collect feedback from this group on Rabobank’s strategy, products and services. What makes it valuable is that these farmers represent the whole world: they operate in different regions and sub-sectors within the global Food & Agricultural chain, varying from dairy to horticulture to cattle”, complemented González.
Future-proof the business
The initiative closely aligns with the cooperative approach of Rabobank. Jan Pieter van Oosten, Co-Chairman of the program and Managing Director in Rabo AgriFinance (United States) added: “As a bank, we aim to support customers future-proof their businesses by encouraging sustainable farming or reducing food waste. This requires us to actively engage in conversations, share our knowledge, and collaborate on new technologies like geodata. By doing so, we can make better decisions, strengthen our customer approach, and at the end, contribute to a more resilient food system for the future.”
Global network
The first edition of the Future Farmers Council, representing fourteen farmers from eight countries, was well-received by the participants. Over the past three years, the group met thirty times, mostly online, which resulted in a vibrant, global network. Their feedback helped Rabobank refining its ‘From Here to Greener’ strategy and position paper on the Food System Transition.
This month twelve dedicated farmers from the second group were welcomed at Rabobank’s head office in Utrecht. The group started meeting virtually in March and held four online sessions before meeting this week.
Throughout sessions led by Senior Management based in Utrecht, the group deepened and exchanged perspectives on relevant themes impacting the F&A sector across the globe and Rabobank’s current and future value proposition.
Key themes during the week included the ongoing review of Rabobank's strategy and Road to Paris-report, carbon markets developments and innovations Rabobank is developing to improve processes and/or capture business opportunities arising from the transitions.
Visits
The group had discussions about farm innovations at Lely, a Dutch leading dairy technology company. They also learned about the latest in Dutch horticulture at the World Horti Centre, visited Horti Tech, and explored grains and oilseeds trading at Viterra.
Besides, the members shared what it is like to be a Rabobank client and how the bank could best support them in their search for more sustainable practices and technologies. There was a lot of appreciation for the open discussions about Rabobank’s position with Managing Board members like Stefaan Decraene and Els Kamphof, as well as members from the Supervisory Board and General Council.
Overall the week was filled with “a lot of phenomenal experiences” and “robust conversations”, as one of the participants, Jack Williams, said. “The biggest take away from the week is the network that we now have around the world, which I am very grateful for.”
Follow-up
According to Marcelo Alves, Global Head of Rural a.i., the week’s insights have been discussed with colleagues and will help Rabobank to improve communication with customers, streamline processes, and to inspire product development and services. In November, the group will meet online to review the trip and set themes for follow up sessions.
