Paris, 30 March 2010 - Crédit Agricole S.A., with the support of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, has chosen to take part in “green month”, a scheme launched in 2009 by press, publishing and internet group Bayard Presse to mark the occasion of Sustainable Development Week. The theme of this year's “green week” is microcredit and its role in providing hope in the fight against poverty and for development.

With this partnership, the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation seeks to raise awareness among children and young people about using microcredit for people who do not have access to banking services as a means of combating poverty in countries in the southern hemisphere.

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation recorded four interviews with two microfinance institutions in Mali. After adapting them for a young target audience, these interviews will be published in the April editions of Pomme d'Api (3-7 year olds), Astrapi (7-11 year olds), Okapi (11-15 year olds) and Phosphore (15-18 year olds). They tell the story of Aminata, a credit agent in a rural area, who lends money to poor people, or that of Adjara, whose parents were able to set up a small banana business for the local market thanks to microcredit. An educational booklet about microcredit for parents and young people will be distributed to 900,000 young people's magazine subscribers in France. The interviews published in the four magazines will be read by 2,500,000 young people (source: Consojunior 2009).

This educational sponsorship programme underscores Crédit Agricole Group's commitment to supporting sustainable and fair development.

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation: €14 million approved for 10 emerging or developing countries

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, created in September 2008 on the joint initiative of Crédit Agricole and Professor Yunus, received an irrevocable €50 million endowment from Crédit Agricole. With these funds, the Foundation has the resources to take long-term, disinterested action to assist microfinance institutions and companies trying to provide the poorest segments of the population with access to essential goods.

Under this unique initiative - the only one of its kind in the banking industry - a total of €14 million in loans and guarantees has been approved for 14 microfinance institutions (MFIs) and social business projects in 10 developing or emerging countries, namely Cambodia, Kosovo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, Senegal, Syria and India.