Strategy

As a cooperative bank founded by farmers, Rabobank is rooted in society. We want to make a substantial contribution to solving the global food challenge: feeding a growing population long into the future. We also work to foster well-being and prosperity in the Netherlands. In order to achieve these goals, we focus on supporting our clients, their communities and the world around them. We do this using our knowledge, networks and financial solutions.

Banking for Food

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.

Banking for the Netherlands

Rabobank was founded as a cooperative bank in the Netherlands, where it feels a strong connection with its clients and members, and therefore with the future of the country. With a strong foothold in the Dutch market, we want to help SMEs and businesses of all sizes to thrive and grow sustainably.

We also want to help private clients become and remain financially healthy. In doing so, we strengthen the earning capacity of the Netherlands, the sustainability of households and the living environment of local communities. Thanks to our local presence, at the heart of society, we are ideally placed to respond to relevant topics on the local and regional agenda.

Four pillars

In addition to being a rock-solid bank, we want to be a meaningful cooperative. In order to achieve this, we have established four pillars that form our strategy.

1. Excellent customer focus

It goes without saying that we want to be client-focused. But we take it a step further. We provide tailored advice to clients with innovative and digital services and a wide range of products. In this way, we not only help our clients now: we also ensure that they are ready for the future in a rapidly changing world. This is our cooperative mentality in practice.

2. Meaningful cooperative

Guided by our cooperative origins, we bring employees, clients and partners together. We do not shy away from important social issues and developments such as climate change, the energy transition and inclusivity. We want to contribute to a more sustainable world without hunger and with equal opportunities for all.

3. Empowered employees

We can only make a truly meaningful contribution to the world if our employees enjoy doing what they are good at, in a working environment that provides room for diverse perspectives. This makes our employees proud, driven and motivated to represent Rabobank. They are also inspired by our mission to contribute to a better world. We strive to ensure that talented individuals who choose to work at Rabobank can continue to develop and do not plan to leave the bank any time soon.

4. A rock-solid bank

As a bank, we obviously have a responsibility to society to do things properly. We urge everyone who works for us to always behave professionally and remain aware of the risks involved in banking. We also take our role as a gatekeeper against misuse of our products and services (e.g. fraud and money laundering) extremely seriously.