Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1970s - From rural to international
From 1971, Crédit Agricole’s geographical scope gradually expanded.
Initially confined to agricultural areas, it expanded throughout this decade into cities, until it covered the whole of France in the early 1980s. This geographical expansion was accompanied by further extensions in its scope of action: it could directly finance all tradesmen, agri-food industries and small and medium businesses.
Logo adopted by Crédit Agricole in 1970
New subsidiaries were created to meet these needs, in particular for the financing of agri-food industries (Unicrédit, in 1971) and the management of means of payment (Cédicam, the predecessor of Crédit Agricole Payment Services, in 1972).
The 1970s ended with Crédit Agricole’s first foray
outside France: in 1979, the Caisse Nationale opened a
representative office in Chicago, home to the main stock
exchange for agricultural commodities. For Crédit Agricole,
the aim was to support the regional banks’ customers in
international markets.
In the same series
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Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1990s - A growing groupCrédit Agricole, no longer under government supervision, was now in control of its destiny. It completed its goal of becoming a universal bank with the ambition of being useful to all. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 2000s - A new dimensionIn 2001, the regional banks, the majority shareholders of Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole, decided to open up its capital to the public. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1980s - The beginnings of universal bankingIn the early 1980s, Crédit Agricole operated throughout France, including in the largest urban areas. It also began to develop its international network with a growing number of new locations (Frankfurt, Milan, Cairo, Singapore, etc.). -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1960s - A decade of renewalSince 1897, Crédit Agricole received advances from the government each year, which it had to repay. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1950s - Expansion of the networkIn the early 1950s, Crédit Agricole developed savings inflows to boost financing for French farmers. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history: 1940s - War and reconstructionThe Second World War disrupted the organisation of Crédit Agricole. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1930s - Helping farmers through the crisisThe 1929 crisis that began in the United States reached France in the following years. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1920s - Electricity and housingThe birth of the Caisse Nationale de Crédit Agricole -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1910s - Serving the entire countryAt this time, two important measures strengthened Crédit Agricole’s action in its fight against rural depopulation. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1900s - First extension of the scope of actionThe first decade of the 20th century saw Crédit Agricole establish a lasting presence in the regions. -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1890s - A bottom-up organisationCreation of the local banks -
Crédit Agricole 140 years of history : 1880s - Creation in the JuraOur story begins in 1885 in Salins-les-Bains in the Jura.