As a major player at the heart of the French regions and a privileged observer of economic and social reality, Crédit Agricole stands up for values of proximity and solidarity. Whether it be protecting clients from bank exclusion or supporting professional microcredit in France and developing microcredit worldwide, its actions all aim at contributing to fair and responsible development.
An active strategy at the heart of our business
Protecting clients from bank exclusion
As a universal and mutual bank, Crédit Agricole has at heart to offer services to all its clients, including the most vulnerable. The Regional Banks have therefore initiated measures to help such clients get through difficult times.
Supporting professional microcredit in France
The Regional Banks are committed to encourage all business creators and rescuers, including those excluded from traditional banking, and have taken a number of initiatives in recent years. Cooperation with Plates-formes d’initiative locale (Pfil, platforms for local initiative), has helped to create or rescue over 30,000 companies in three years. Additional loans have been granted to entrepreneurs, with EUR 128 million financed in 2007, or 25 % more than in 2006. We have partnered with business creation assistance organisations such as Adie1, which has made total subsidies of EUR 1 million since 2000.
Certain Regional Banks also cooperate with networks such as "France Active", "Boutiques de gestion" (management boutiques), "Entreprendre" or de-centralised structures such as business incubators. Other Regional Banks complement these initiatives with their own measures to foster business creation or help professionals overcome a difficult patch.
Developing microcredit worldwide
We have carried out microfinance projects abroad, along the lines of ICAR. This association, created by the Caisse régionale du Nord Est with cereal growers and supported by seven Regional Banks and Crédit Agricole Solidarité et Développement, is currently helping three microfinance networks develop in Madagascar by providing them with advisory services. Over EUR 1.4 million will be released for this purpose until 2009.
In 2007, Crédit Agricole created a division in charge of international microfinance, which led to the establishment of a dedicated foundation between the Grameen Trust and Crédit Agricole.
Focus
Grameen Trust and Crédit Agricole launch Microfinance Foundation
Fighting poverty worldwide by providing financial and technical assistance to Microfinance Institutions in developing and emerging countries is the goal set by the Grameen Crédit Agricole Microfinance Foundation, created in February 2008 with funds of EUR 50 million. To this end, it will place an entire range of financing possibilities – loans, guarantees, equity – at the disposal of these Institutions, as well as an advisory, exchange and technical assistance platform.
- ADIE: Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Economique: network of local assistance and financing agencies for people in difficulty who wish to create their own job.
- FARM: Fondation pour l’Agriculture et la Ruralité dans le Monde (Foundation for World Agriculture and Rural Life).
- FAO: The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
