Principles/CSR
BankRakYat
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 3:55pm. BankRakYat | Banking and Finance | Malaysia | Community | Developing 300 | Principles/CSR | DevelopmentBankRakYat is the largest co-operative Islamic bank in Malaysia, providing financing facilities for agricultural purposes and initiatives involving production, marketing, industry, fishery, transportation, housing, business and other activities to its members.
Developing 300 ranking:
4
Number of members:
45,000Member Dividend:
USD $66,547,079Turnover:
USD $: 247,533,477Type of Co-operative:
Co-operativeDate founded:
1954Operating Countries:
Malaysia
Website:
Community
Bank Rakyat sponsors social welfare programmes and contributes financially to a variety of causes. The amount set aside for these activities increases every year.
Almost all programmes involve the participation of the local branch. A lot of thought goes into the planning to ensure that the activities and contributions benefit a cross-section of the population, with a focus on rural areas.
A core activity is the hosting of examination seminars for students sitting the UPSR, PMR and SPM, in collaboration with Berita Harian. This programme is in line with the Bank’s objective of enhancing the economic status of its members. Places are offered to children of the Bank’s members and those from the school co-operatives.
In 2005, a total of 30 seminars were held at 30 locations throughout the country. More than RM300,000.00 was spent on this programme in 2005.
Further assistance for educational advancement was given in the form of scholarships to children of members to pursue their studies up to diploma and first degree levels.
In addition, the Bank pays an annual business tithe. A sum of RM12.0 million was paid in all states in 2004. Students from several schools all over the country received support from this Islamic obligation.
The Bank also acts as a tithing agent which means that it plays a role in
encouraging the payment of tithes and thus, helping to increase the amount collected, while also spreading further the services it offers to the Islamic community at large.
As part of the ‘duit saku.com’ programme initiated by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Bank has so far adopted 184 schools in order to promote financial awareness and thrift. Activities held include organising relevant discussions and briefings at these schools, as well as participation in exhibitions organised by BNM to promote the programme.
In line with this effort, the Bank also plays an active role in the distribution of ‘Buku Wang Saku’ (BWS) to students. BWS, published by BNM, emphasises accounting and financial education for secondary students. To ensure that this programme succeeds, the Bank has allocated a substantial budget for 2006.
Bank staff take part in the Community Service Programme held at eight locations in the country. The activities carried out included the cleaning of cemeteries and repainting of orphanages and mosques.
Development
While it is not the Bank’s policy to trumpet the total amount donated each year, suffice it to say that the 2004 Tsunami victims alone received RM1.1 million.
Apart from the Tsunami victims, those who benefited from Bank contributions in cash and kind included the earthquake victims in Pakistan, Pink Ribbon Deeds or PRIDE in their Walk with Pride programme, Perdana Leadership Foundation, the 30th Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Board of Governors and a long list of mosques and homes for the poor and destitute.
Kuapa Kokoo
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 3:44pm. Kuapa Kokoo | Food and Agriculture | Ghana | Community | Developing 300 | Principles/CSR | DevelopmentKuapa Kokoo is a cocoa farmers' co-operative based in Ghana.
The co-operative contains a credit co-operative and owns 30% of The Day Chocolate Company which markets Divine Chocolate internationally.
Number of members:
45,000Gender Diversity:
30% of employees are femaleType of Co-operative:
Multipurpose Co-operativeDate founded:
1993Operating Countries:
Ghana, and internationally via export.
Website:
Community
Gender awareness in Kuapa aims to enhance the active and effective participation of women in decision making throughout the organisation. Measures have been introduced to ensure that a minimum number of members of the various councils and committees are women. Further special seminars and workshops are organised for women on a wide range of issues, for example nutrition, child care, health and credit facilities.
Kuapa has also supported income generating activities to supplement their incomes and to make them less dependent on their men as well as provide money for the family during the off season whilst the cocoa is growing. For example they have set up a project making soap from the potash produced from burnt cocoa husks. This soap is then sold, generating additional income from the waste cocoa materials. They have also provided women with machines for cracking palm kernels for cooking oil, this is far faster than the traditional method of using stones to crack the kernels.
Kuapa supports other community projects through the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers’
Trust fund.
The Co-operative Group was one of the first major UK retailers to sell Fairtrade products and in 2002 converted all of its own brand chocolate to Fairtrade. All the cocoa was bought from Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana and processed through The Day Chocolate Company. This doubled the amount of Fairtrade chocolate in the UK overnight and demonstrated successful co-operation between the organisations.
Development
In 1993, the cocoa farmers’ co-operative was formed and named ‘Kuapa Kokoo’ which in the local language, Twi, means ‘Good Cocoa Farmers Company’. Their motto is ‘Pa Pa Paa’ which means ‘the best of the best of the best’.
The organisation is for farmers and set up by them with the mission to effect:
- increased power and representation within the market for the farmers
- social, economic and political empowerment
- enhanced women’s participation in all its affairs
- environmentally sustainable production processes
By 2005 the co-operative had some 45,000 member farmers from about 1200
villages in 26 districts. The co-operative has changed the lives of farmers from tending plants to selling product and has even extended into value added services via The Day Chocolate Company.
COOPEAGROPAL
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 2:59pm. COOPEAGROPAL | Food and Agriculture | Costa Rica | Environment | Community | Developing 300 | Principles/CSRDeveloping 300 ranking:
25
Number of members:
534Number of employees:
465Turnover:
USD $: 30,039,000Type of Co-operative:
Agricultural Co-operativeDate founded:
1986Operating Countries:
Costa Rica
Website:
Environment
The co-operative’s development policies are promoted under a real commitment to the environment and a good management of natural resources. Efforts in this
respect include:
- Implementation of an energy plant to produce the power required for the agricultural and industrial processes and the administration of the co-operative.
- Proper handling of industrial waste, by using it as raw material.
Community
COOPEAGROPAL RL has helped to make drinking water, housing, health programs and fairs available for the community, including a clinic that offers medical services to its members. It has worked with the Ministry of Education and the national universities to improve the population’s level of education.
At the same time, with its own resources, the co-operative is in charge of the
maintenance of 300 km of roads, more than 250 canals and 65 concrete bridges.
The region of Coto Sur has experienced an improvement in employment, income, and the quality of life of the families in the community. Many of those who were simply workers in the banana plantations have become the owners of oil palm farms.
80% of Coto Sur’s employment is directly or indirectly generated by the co-operative.
COOPEAGROPAL also operates a store where members can source the products and services needed to develop the palm industry.
Members have access to financial assistance via the co-operative.
Mountain Equipment Co-op
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 2:32pm. Mountain Equipment Co-op | Retailing | Canada | Products | Environment | Principles/CSRMEC is Canada’s largest supplier of quality outdoor equipment. It has 11 stores across Canada, as well as a comprehensive web store and phone/mail order service.
Global 300 ranking:
532Number of members:
2,300,000Member Dividend:
USD $1,722,727Number of employees:
1,120Gender Diversity:
46% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 168,679,960Type of Co-operative:
Consumer Co-operativeDate founded:
1971Operating Countries:
Canada, and internationally via mail order.
Website:
Products
MEC product sourcing:
- MEC is one of the top 25 global purchasers of organic cotton.
- 100% of cotton in MEC brand clothes is organic.
- Recycled polyester at 4% in MEC brand items.
- MEC actively monitors its manufacturing facilities to ensure compliance with their standards for health and safety of workers, as well as addressing issues such as forced labour, child labour and freedom of association. This applies all the way down the supply chain.
Product Recycling:
Environment
Product policy
MEC’s Board-level Product Selection Policy ensures MEC will not design or buy
products specifically for:
- Motorised activities.
- Activities that have an unacceptable impact on the environment.
- Activities intended to kill or harm animals.
Reducing environmental impact
- PVC and other environmentally harmful substances are being removed from all MEC’s products to reduce their environmental impact.
- Target to further reduce Greenhouse gas emissions from facilities (down 52% from 2003).
- Target to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions from logistics by 5% in 2006.
- Target to donate 1% of sales to environmental causes in 2007.
MEC was ranked top retailer in the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business’ annual
Corporate Social Responsibility Ranking.
MEC was ranked top retailer (4th overall) in the Ethical Trading Action Group’s
Transparency Report Card
Coop Adriatica
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 2:26pm. Co-op Adriatica | Retailing | Italy | Products | Community | Principles/CSRCoop Adriatica has 114 points of sale in 4 regions (Emilia Romagna,
Marche, Abruzzo and Veneto.) It is part of the Coop group of
retailers in Italy.
Global 300 ranking:
96Number of members:
890,112Member Dividend:
USD $139,153,960Number of employees:
9,120Gender Diversity:
68% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Co-operativeDate founded:
1995Operating Countries:
Italy
Website:
Products
Coop Adriatica’s outlet in Ascoli Piceno was the first supermarket in Italy with green brands ‘Tutt' Oggi’. Coop is the only retailer in Italy to have obtained FSC certification for their own brand cellulose based ‘Tutella line’ of paper products.
Other innovative materials used for packing own brand products are the recycled celluloses the ‘Cartalatte’ and ‘Cartafrutta’ (trade mark by Tetrapak), used in the production of duvet covers and pillowcases of the Collection ‘Letto Coop’.
Coop Adriatica has other own brand products with official organic certification.
Coop Adriatica’s cosmetic products are certified ‘Not tested on animals’.
Coop Adriatica has been the first Italian distribution chain that has been listed in the official directory of Dolphin-Safe companies. All tuna sales are from dolphin friendly fisheries.
Community
Coop Adriatica collaborates with the Food Bank Foundation that
carries out, on the last Saturday of November, a collection of non perishable food products. These are donated by customers and given to organisations that assist needy persons locally. In 2005 the collection was carried out at 97 Coop Adriatica stores and produced a total of 195.918 kilograms of foods, with a value of approximately €657.000.
Coop Lombardy has developed with the Caritas Ambrosiana a service ‘due mani in più (two hands more)’ to deliver shopping and company to the homes of the elderly, invalids and handicapped people.
Coop Adriatica publishes an annual list of voluntary service associations and social co-operatives, the ‘C’Entro Anch’io’. The aim is to identify and to support projects in favour of infants and youth.
The project ‘Agua Para dois Irmãos’ assists in the construction of approximately 1.000 family cisterns for rainwater capture in the municipality of Dois Irmãos, Brazil. Financed by the ANCC/Coop Italy and undertaken by ONG Toscaza UCODEP, the project was started in September 2005 and will achieve a total number of 1.000 cisterns by the end of 2007.
Coop Adriatica has provided assistance for co-operatives damaged by the Tsunami in Sri Lanka, with a focus on the Districts of Hambantota and Kalutara. Partners in this intervention are the ONG UCODEP of d’Arezzo and GVC of Bologna. The project was started in May 2005; the date planned for completion is June 2007.
Coop Adriatica and its associates have become active in the international campaign ‘Make Poverty History’, selling the campaign’s white bracelets in all its hypermarkets and in approximately fifty supermarkets. To date more than €25,000 has been raised for this cause.
Over the past two years, many thousands of members of Coop Adriatica have supported, a health centre build by ‘Médecins sans Frontières’ (MSF) in Cuemba/Angola (Africa). Altogether the members of the co-operative have distributed the equivalent of €800,000. When added to the donations from the members of the ‘Coop Consumatori Nordest’ and the ‘Coop Estense’, the total raised comes to €1.3 million.
Folksam
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 2:14pm. Folksam | Insurance | Sweden | People | Principles | Environment | Principles/CSRFolksam is a Swedish mutual insurance company that insures one in two people in Sweden.
Global 300 ranking:
65Number of members:
4,000,000Number of employees:
3,563Gender Diversity:
49% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 1,127,079,611Type of Co-operative:
MutualDate founded:
1908Operating Countries:
Sweden
Website:
People
Diversity and Equal Opportunities: Folksam’s managers attend a series of seminars on measures against discrimination at work on the grounds of ethnicity, religion or other factors. The ‘Wheel of Diversity’ project creates a climate for spreading knowledge and experience of ways to leverage diversity as a growth engine for companies in the Stockholm region. 87% of employees agreed with the statement, “In my team/department men and women are treated with equality.”
Training and Development: Mentoring programme initiated with Scribona (the Nordic region’s leading distributor of IT and communication products). This programme provides help and support with employees’ career planning with a view to increasing internal mobility.
Communications: Publication ‘Folksam Vision’ describes the organisation's role as a Mutual, its aims and visions and how to achieve them.
Additional Employee Health Services: Managerial staff are encouraged to take parental leave, during which employees are paid 90% of their normal salary. In 2005 the whole of Folksam was again awarded a health diploma by the Swedish Federation for Company Sport. Some workers have been trained as health ambassadors to support and motivate their colleagues to take part in wellness programmes.
Absenteeism Reduction Methods: Procedures and signalling systems for early identification of workers at risk of chronic illness.
Other statistics:
- Top Twenty in Sweden’s Best Workplaces
- Employee Turnover: 2.6%
- Gender Diversity: 49%
- Percent Female in Management: 42%.
Principles
Values: Security, commitment, compassion and professionalism.
Vision: “We work for a long-term sustainable society in which the individual feels secure.”
Socially Responsible Investing: Folksam’s decisions on the companies it invests in are based on ethical investment criteria. They employ positive, supportive investment criteria relating to human rights and the environment and Folksam will not invest in companies providing tobacco products.
Environment
Green electricity: 3 years ago, Folksam began using ‘green’ electricity (BRA MILJÖVAL-EL) in its properties, at a stroke reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from 220 tonnes to 15 tonnes a year.
Standards: Part of Folksam’s operations (in motor vehicle and building claims, and traffic and safety research) are environmentally certified to ISO 14002.
Research: The Folksam Climate Index, now in its 9th year, measures the CO2 emissions of 270 enterprises and their actions to reduce emissions.
Reuse: Folksam saved SEK 50m by reusing original parts and repairing plastic parts and car windows. The total saved by these practices has been SEK 250m over the last 5 years.
Campina
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 1:58pm. Campina | Food and Agriculture | Netherlands | Principles | Environment | Principles/CSRCampina is one of Europe’s largest dairy co-operatives with the number one or two position in branded products in its chosen markets.
Global 300 ranking:
46Number of members:
8,357Number of employees:
6,811Turnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Co-operativeDate founded:
1979Operating Countries:
Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and other international locations.
Website:
Principles
Reliable: “We take our role in the dairy chain seriously. By being honest and fair, acting with respect and always remaining aware that dairy is part of people’s daily lives.”
Enterprising: “We conduct ourselves like entrepreneurs who are not afraid to show initiative, to take decisions and to commit ourselves to achieving results.”
Corporate Social Responsibility: Campina has targeted three priorities in CSR:
- Clean Water – both on the farm and from the farm.
- Chain transparency – from the farmer to the consumer.
- Care for People – employees, members and communities.
In order to focus its activities it has created the following CSR structure:
- CSR Steering Group: This steering group has a multidisciplinary membership, consisting of representatives at senior management level.
- CSR Officer: Campina has appointed a CSR Officer at senior management level. He acts as a driver of CSR in the business and is also Campina’s first point of contact on sustainable entrepreneurship.
- CSR Project Teams: Depending on the issue in question, multi-disciplinary project teams address issues that call for operational action (e.g. outdoor grazing or compliance/business principles).
Environment
Energy: Campina’s EEI (Energy Efficiency Index) in the Netherlands in 2005 was 93.6 (reference year 1998=100). It has been monitoring energy use since 1989.
Waste: A total of 41,148 tonnes of packaging were sold during 2005, compared with 42,502 tonnes in 2004. This is mainly attributable to the changes in the product package during 2005.
Water: 11.22 million m3 were used in 2005.
- In Heiloo (the Netherlands), Campina reduced water consumption by optimising the cleaning process for its filling machines. Employees were able to reduce the cleaning time by around 30%, yielding an annual water savings of some 800 m3.
- In Veghel (also in the Netherlands), Campina reduced its water consumption by approximately 100,000 m3 a year, equivalent to the annual consumption of over 550 four-person Dutch households.
- Water Framework Directive: Campina works with the Dutch government in seeking to implement the Water Framework Directive. It belongs to:
- The Nutrients Working Group which sets guidelines for nitrogen and phosphate levels;
- The Meuse Basin Advisory Group;
- The WS Aa and Meuse, Dommel and Brabant Delta advisory groups;
- The Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) working group on the consequences for industry.
- Spending: €2.47 million spent on Environmental Protection in 2005.
Desjardins
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 1:41pm. Desjardins Financial Corporation | Banking and Finance | Canada | Community | Principles/CSR | DevelopmentThe leading financial institution in Québec and the largest cooperative financial group in Canada.
Global 300 ranking:
31Number of members:
5,500,000Member Dividend:
USD $408,000Number of employees:
40,000Gender Diversity:
51% of employees are femaleTurnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Consortium and FederationDate founded:
1900Operating Countries:
Canada, USA.
Website:
Community
Healthcare Education: In order to assist in the fight against obesity, which is at the root of numerous diseases including hypertension, certain cardiovascular problems and diabetes, they offer CAD 500,000 in financial support to the Chair on obesity research and CAD 600,000 to the Bertrand-Fradet cardiology Chair at Université Laval.
Grand Tournée: In order to build bridges between the French-speaking, English-speaking and Mohawk communities in their region, the Châteauguay, Christ-Roi de Châteauguay, Kahnawake and Mercier – Saint-Isidore Desjardins caisses granted CAD 15,000 in financial aid to organize the Grande Tournée 2005 des jeunes de Châteauguay et de Kahnawake bike tour.
Mutual Assistance: Desjardins Mutual Assistance Funds, which originated from a collaborative effort between a group of caisses and various budget consulting organizations, help people in financial difficulty that have no access to credit by offering budget management advisory services and emergency loans, if needed.
The Desjardins Jeunes au travail program, started in 1996, consists of young people between 15 and 18 enjoying paid, supervised 180-hour summer internships in a business, including job search and interview training, in order to enhance their employability.
Development
Foundation: In the past year, Fondation Desjardins, a private foundation financially supported by the Desjardins caisses and subsidiaries, provided 367 bursaries and prizes totalling CAD 642,576, under a number of programs aimed at providing financial assistance to students, developing employability among young people, fostering entrepreneurship and increasing job creation.
Sponsorships, Donations and Student Bursaries by business segment 2005:
- Arts and culture CAD 4.3 million
- Regional economic development CAD 17.1 million
- Education CAD 10.5 million
- Mutual assistance and solidarity CAD 6.5 million
- Health and well-being CAD 13.4 million
- Sports and recreation CAD 6.4 million
- Microfinance: The Desjardins Microcredit for Business fund is the result of a partnership between a group of caisses and a Réseau québécois du crédit communautaire (RQCC – Québec Community Credit Network) member organization. The RQCC allows self-employed workers and microbusinesses that have trouble getting credit through the traditional networks to obtain financing and support in carrying out their business plans.
- Venture Capital: In 2005, Desjardins Venture Capital (DVC), their venture capital fund manager, invested a total of CAD 159 million in new commitments in 143 businesses and co-operatives from every region of Québec. DVC manages the assets of the six Desjardins regional investment funds and two other organizations: Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins (CRCD), a public fund with capitalization
expected to reach CAD 1.325 billion by 2011, and Desjardins – Innovatech S.E.C.
Co-operative Education:
Jeune COOP (Youth COOP) program: In conjunction with the Conseil de la coopération du Québec, they support the Jeune COOP (Youth COOP) program, which provides young students in the last two years of high school and their teachers with all the tools they need to start up a co-operative.
Fondation pour l’éducation à la coopération (FEC): In 2005, Fondation Desjardins signed a ten-year agreement with the Fondation pour l’éducation à la coopération (FEC) co-operative education foundation.
Support for Entrepreneurs:
Fonterra
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 1:25pm. Fonterra | Food and Agriculture | New Zealand | Environment | Principles/CSRFonterra is one of the top 10 dairy businesses in the world and is responsible for a third of international dairy trade. It owns 60 manufacturing plants including 35 in New Zealand. It has products in 140 countries.
Global 300 ranking:
24Number of members:
11,680Number of employees:
17,400Turnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Member Co-operativeDate founded:
2001Operating Countries:
New Zealand, Australia, Asia Pacific, North and South America.
Website:
Environment
Reducing environmental impact
Fonterra is involved in a number of environmental initiatives, including the Dairy Industry Strategy for Sustainable Environmental Management, Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium, the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord, and the International Standard on Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001).
- 75% of farmers have removed cattle from streams, rivers and lakes versus a 2007 target of 50%; 93% of race crossing points have bridges or culverts against a 2007 target of 50%.
- Over the 2005/6 season, Fonterra made an 82% contribution to New Zealand businesses’ total reported national energy savings.
- In 2005 Fonterra signed a 20-year agreement with Toll NZ to make rail the primary mode of transporting dairy products from the Waikato region. It is estimated that the agreement will cut approximately 45,000 truck movements from Waikato roads and the main highways between the Waikato, Auckland and Tauranga. This equates to a saving of approximately 3000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
- Comprehensive Group Environmental Policy (v2.0) published January 2006, covered reduction in pollution, elimination of waste and recycling targets as well as stakeholder and community education and awareness programmes.
- The majority of Fonterra sites are accredited with the ISO 14001 standard.
2006 Awards
- Ecolab Eco-efficiency Award (New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology Inc), awarded to Clandeboye site for eco-efficiency.
- Target Zero Special Award for Business Resource Use Efficiency (Environment Canterbury, Landcare Research, Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority and Christchurch City Council), awarded to Clandeboye site for eco-efficiency.
- Commercial/industrial Environmental Award (Environment Canterbury), awarded to Clandeboye site for eco-efficiency programme and wastewater irrigation (category joint winner).
- Taranaki Regional Council Industry Environmental Enhancement Project Award, awarded to Whareroa site for work on the Nowells Lake wetlands.
- Sustainable Business Network award for innovation (both local and national levels), awarded to our Tirau site for anoxic tank modification for nitrate compliance.
Banque Populaire Group
Submitted by Garry Cronan on October 15, 2007 - 1:12pm. Groupe Banques Populaires | Banking and Finance | France | Products | Environment | Community | Principles/CSR | DevelopmentWith over 7,000,000 customers and 2850 branches, the bank has one of the largest retail networks in France. They have 45,000 employees in France and abroad.
Global 300 ranking:
21Number of members:
3,000,000Number of employees:
45,530Turnover:
USD $: 2,147,483,647Type of Co-operative:
Co-operatively owned GroupDate founded:
1917Operating Countries:
France and 67 other countries.
Website:
Products
Banque Populaire Group is the no.1 provider for business start-ups and buyout loans in France. In partnership with Sociétés des Cautions Mutuelle Artisanals (SOCAMA) and with support from the European Investment Fund, Banque Popular Group has developed innovative products such as ‘Prêt Express Socama’, loans without personal guarantees for clients’ equipment purchase, and ‘Prêt Socama
Transmission-Reprise’ for buy-in/buy-out financing.
Eleven of the group’s solidarity based saving products are Finansol labelled. The French Finansol Label is a guarantee of transparency, ethics and social conscience. The Group is also a leading player in solidarity based financing and no. 1 in microloan financing (source ADIE).
Environment
The Banque Populaire group has introduced a savings scheme ‘CODEVair’. This scheme pays a slightly reduced interest rate the savings collected are assigned to the project ‘PREVair’ that funds environmentally friendly property projects.
The Banque Populaire Foundation funds projects addressing the preservation and renovation of the national maritime and aquatic environment.
Community
Healthcare: During 2005 the group’s Natexis Banque began to support efforts to combat malaria, something of a forgotten disease in the developed world but which kills over two million people every year. To this end, it began by pledging its support to the Franco-African day of action against malaria, which was organized by the ‘Plan France’ NGO. In addition, two projects to combat malaria led by other NGOs received the support of Natexis Banque.
Culture: The Banque Populaire Foundation’s activities are focused in three areas:
- Culture - by supporting young musicians in the early stage of their career;
- Social Action - by helping young disabled people to pursue a life-changing project or to join the business world;
- Maritime preservation - see Environment, above.
Almost 300 prizes and bursaries have been awarded since the Foundation was set-up in 1992.
Development
Crédit Maritime d’outre mer and BRED Banque Populaire set up a ‘Sofipêche’ unit on Réunion Island, in conjunction with Coopération Maritime. This product, which was called ‘SOFIRUN 2005’ and has €4.9 million in capital, aims to widen ownership of new fishing vessels by young fishermen setting up a business for the first time.
