The White Paper published by the International Confederation of Agricultural Credit (CICA) in November is intended to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals for more resilient agriculture that is better protected against climate hazards.

Since its creation in 1950, the International Confederation of Agricultural Credit (CICA) has held an annual Congress, now known as the Meetings. This provides an opportunity for the leaders of the Confederation's member banking and financial institutions to present research and discuss topics of common interest.

These meetings take place on all continents in order to offer members an opening to other countries and agricultural, banking and cultural realities.

On the occasion of the 6th World Congress on Agricultural and Rural Finance, held on November 12 and 13 in New Delhi, CICA published The Agricultural Insurance White Paper, the result of 23 contributions that shed light on the challenges of agricultural insurance. Through the testimonies of various stakeholders in all regions of the world, the White Paper aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, for a more resilient and better protected agriculture against climate hazards. FARM of Crédit Agricole collaborated closely on the publication, which highlights how risk management is a key condition for improving the economic, social, and environmental performance of agriculture, in the North and the South.

Discover the White Paper here.

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation continues to expand its activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the signing of a new partnership with the microfinance institution Partner Microcredit Organization (Partner), to which it has granted an initial loan of €2 million over a period of three years.

Partner is a multi-ethnic organization founded by Mercy Corps in 2000. It was the first microfinance institution to operate in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. Partner, one of the country's leading microfinance institutions, provides a range of business, agricultural, and housing loans through a network of approximately 30 branches. To date, the institution has over 40,000 clients, including 42% women and 87% rural clients, and manages a portfolio of nearly €70 million.

With this new partnership, the Foundation has three partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 16 partners in the Eastern Europe / Central Asia region, representing nearly 20% of partners and 26% of outstanding loans monitored by the Foundation at the end of October 2019.

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Created in 2008, under the joint leadership of Crédit Agricole SA's management and Professor Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Grameen Bank, the Grameen Crédit Agricole SA Foundation is a multi-sector operator that contributes to the fight against poverty through financial inclusion and social impact entrepreneurship. As an investor, lender, technical assistance coordinator, and fund advisor, the Foundation supports microfinance institutions and social enterprises in nearly 40 countries.

19 tons of plastic enter the ocean every minute. Yet this waste can be an invaluable resource! Making recycling this waste a profitable and job-generating activity: that's the challenge facing the Plastic Odyssey team. Merchant Navy officers, a sales manager, and an engineer, these young entrepreneurs decided to build an ambitious project to raise awareness about plastic waste recycling and share expertise with emerging countries.

An expedition to share low-tech and open-source plastic recycling technologies

For three years, the Plastic Odyssey team will sail the world's seas on a ship to fight plastic pollution. The expedition will stop in emerging countries to encourage local waste reduction initiatives and the creation of small recycling plants. At each stop, Plastic Odyssey will share low-tech and open-source recycling technologies to foster the development of micro-entrepreneurship and the circular economy. Training in plastic sorting and recycling will also be offered.

This project does not aim to collect plastic present in the oceans but to act upstream, by working with local populations on depollution solutions, so that land-based waste does not end up in the oceans.

The first ship to move forward thanks to recycled plastic

The ship will be ready to sail in the second half of 2020. Measuring 40 meters in length, it will run on fuel made from plastic waste using a pyrolysis plant installed at the rear of the boat: a first in the field of navigation.

For 3 years, he will successively travel the coasts of Africa, Latin America, and Asia to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the oceans, encourage the reduction of plastic and its recycling, and transform plastic waste into resources.

The fight against plastic pollution: a major societal issue

The fight against plastic pollution is a concern that Crédit Agricole shares with Plastic Odyssey. The Group was already a partner of Plastic Odyssey in 2018, during the prototyping phase of the project. Crédit Agricole, through 16 entities(1), is continuing this commitment by supporting Plastic Odyssey's initiative with €1.2 million over 5 years. The support provided for this expedition is in line with the Crédit Agricole Group's Social Project.

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(1) 7 Regional Banks (Alpes Provence, Aquitaine, Atlantic Vendée, Charente-Maritime Deux-Sèvres, Finistère, Normandy Seine, Provence Côte d'Azur) as well as BforBank, CAMCA Mutuelle, Crédit Agricole Assurances, CACEIS, Crédit Agricole CIB, Crédit Agricole Immobilier, Crédit Agricole SA, Crédit Agricole Poland and Crédit Agricole Italy.