Our story

Backing farmers since 1898

The seeds of Rabobank were sown by farmers in the Netherlands in 1898. They set up a banking cooperative, to help farmers support each other in business and make sure that rural communities were treated fairly when it came to getting the finances they needed. Growing and strengthening communities is at the heart of Rabobank. That’s why we say ‘Growing a better New Zealand together.’

Read The Rabobank Story

Farmers working for farmers

Our business focus is on food and agribusiness. It’s no coincidence that so many Rabobank rural managers are country people. Coming from the land, they don’t just understand farming, they were born to it, and they live and breathe it.

Our rural managers have an in-depth knowledge of agribusiness, and working closely with you gives you a definite competitive advantage.

We also believe in putting the customer first with excellent old-fashioned personal service. And that won’t go out of fashion.

The future of farming

Rabobank looks ahead to the future of farming. To do that, we work closely with our agribusiness clients. We’ve set up five Client Councils to understand the significant issues that will affect the industry and rural communities. These issues include rural health, agricultural education and environmental sustainability.

In New Zealand Rabobank sponsors over 200 farming events and dedicated groups. We run programs to create the next generation of leaders like the Rabobank Leadership Awards and Global Farmers and Young Farmers Master Classes.

And to drive future prosperity, we take on an advocacy role through ground-breaking initiatives like the F20 (Food 20) Summit, which promotes food security for the world.

Banking for food

Here’s some food for thought. Banking for Food is Rabobank’s vision on Global Food Security. It all began when we asked ourselves what we could do, here in New Zealand and around the world, to help make sure that there will be food for all, now and in the future.

With Banking for Food, we’re concentrating on four important areas:

• Earth: Restoring the soil quality of the current arable land around the world as a prerequisite to produce more food with less impact on the environment
• Waste: Reduce food waste throughout the entire food value chain
• Stability: Promote and stimulate a more stable and resilient food and agricultural sector
• Nutrition: Balance the nutritional value of our diets.