AFRICA'S NO.1 FOOD, BEVERAGE & MILLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

Lactalis, Nestlé, Dairy Farmers America Top Rabobank’s Global Dairy Top 20 list

Aug 27, 2021Aug 27, 2021 Editor

NETHERLANDS – Rabobank of the Netherlands has released its annual Global Dairy Top 20 Report, ranking Lactalis, Nestlé, and Dairy Farmers America as the world’s top three dairy companies. For the first time in a decade, French dairy cooperative Lactalis outpaced industry titan Nestlé to clinch the top spot in the prestigious ranking by the Dutch multinational banking and financial services company. Lactalis was a surprise winner as it was ninth place in 2000, with a turnover of 4.8bn, and today boasts of being the world’s largest dairy position, with a turnover…

FMO, Rabobank contribute to IDH Farmfit Fund’s US$118.7m supporting small-scale farmers in Africa

Jul 29, 2021Jul 29, 2021 Editor

AFRICA – IDH Farmfit Fund, the catalysing smallholder finance facility of IDH has received financial support from the Dutch development bank FMO and Rabobank, each investing €10 million (US$11.8m). The IDH Farmfit Fund, with backing from public and private organizations makes it possible to provide financing for small-scale farmers in developing countries. By covering any initial losses on loans, the fund allows banks to provide financing for this sector with ease, acting as a bridge between small-scale farms and financial services. It also invests in innovative companies that develop solutions…

Roland Fumasi appointed as head of Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness (F&A) team

Oct 23, 2020Oct 23, 2020 Editor

NORTH AMERICA – Rabobank has appointed Roland Fumasi to head Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness (F&A) team in North America. Rabobank’s RaboResearch F&A group is a global team of more than 90 analysts who monitor global market events that affect food and agriculture worldwide. In his new role, Mr. Fumasi will lead a team of more than 20 members based in North America who are experts in sectors ranging from animal protein and produce to farm inputs and consumer foods. The team collects insights into commodity markets, conducts in-depth analysis…

Nestle, Lactalis retain top position in Rabobank’s 2020 global dairy ranking

Sep 3, 2020Sep 3, 2020 Editor

GLOBAL – The total combined turnover of the top 20 dairy companies globally increased by 1.3% in 2019 compared to the 2.5% rise in 2018, according to Rabobank in its latest listing of the Global Dairy Top 20. The relatively modest gains in the combined turnover were as result of exchange rate fluctuations, modest commodity price appreciation, below-trend increases in milk production in key exporting countries, and limited organic growth in major dairy categories. Rabobank’s ranking of companies is based on the year’s financials and M&A transactions completed between January…

FAO, Rabobank form sustainable food systems partnership

Jul 10, 2020Jul 11, 2020 Editor

AFRICA – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has signed a new partnership agreement with Rabobank, a Dutch cooperative bank, to help targeted rural communities in creating more sustainable food systems through a series of projects. The partnership will also explore the use of innovative financial instruments to bridge financing gaps in emerging markets and to promote sustainability in food systems investments. The projects will aim to lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve land and water use, and empower smallholder farmers to reduce food losses and address…

Rabobank and MIT announce winners of food & agribusiness innovation prize

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020 Editor

USA – MIT and global financial services provider, Rabobank have announced the top prize winners of the fifth annual Rabobank-MIT Food & Agribusiness Innovation Prize, a business plan competition for early-stage businesses developed by students hailing from universities across the United States. The annual university-based competition invites teams to pitch innovative business plans focused on sustainable, cutting-edge products and technologies in food and agribusiness. The competition is sponsored by Rabobank in partnership with MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Water & Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) and the MIT Food and Agriculture Club. The…

Britvic secures US$520m sustainability-linked financing deal

Feb 18, 2020Feb 18, 2020 Editor

UK – British soft beverages producer and UK distributor of Pepsi drinks, Britvic has agreed secured its first sustainability-linked credit facility that will see the company access £400 million (US$520m) over the next five years. Under the financing deal, Britvic will link the margin of the facility to its sustainability goals. The soft beverage company has set three sustainability goals targeting to ensure that 50% of all plastic bottles in Great Britain and Ireland are made of recycled plastic (rPET) by the year 2025. The company also targets to reduce…

Dutch government and Rabobank support sustainable agriculture with US$80m investment

Jan 28, 2020Jan 29, 2020 Editor

AFRICA – The US$1 billion sustainable agriculture and forestry initiative, AGRI3, has been strengthened by two new investors – the Dutch Ministry of Foreign is contributing US$40 million and Rabobank, which will also match this amount. These contributions will mobilize commercial finance, which can be used to finance sustainable agriculture and accelerate forest protection, which is key to mitigating climate change. Growing demand for food is placing land and forests under significant strain. Seven million hectares of tropical forests disappear annually, and emissions related to agriculture and tropical forest loss…

IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative launches a fund for smallholder farmers finance

Jan 24, 2020Jan 24, 2020 Editor

AFRICA – IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative, in coalition with Unilever, Jacobs DE, Mondelez and Rabobank, has launched the world’s biggest-ever impact fund for smallholder farmers finance. Starting with US$110.82 million, the IDH Farmfit Fund is expected to catalyze up to a billion euros of commercial investments into smallholder farmers in developing countries. The IDH Farmfit Fund is facilitated by IDH and is backed by significant funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a guarantee from the US Agency for International Development. “The lack of capital for smallholders to…

ScaleUpFood launches in the Netherlands to support agri-food ventures

Jul 29, 2019Jul 29, 2019 Editor

NETHERLANDS – ScaleUpNation, Foodvalley NL and Rabobank have announced the launch of a new initiative, ScaleUpFood dedicated to scaling entrepreneurial ventures in food and agriculture sector. ScaleUpFood will address challenges faced by agri-food ventures and find ways critical in expanding their operations. The support program which will begin in October, addressing areas specific to food and agri scale-ups like strategic selling to large corporates, specialized finance, and data driven business model extensions. The program engages top Dutch corporate and innovative mid-caps for collaboration with the scale-ups. Qualified ventures will be…