Integrated report2023-2024
Strategy and value creation
Support strategy for the agricultural and agri‑food sectors
In its Societal Project, Crédit Agricole Group reaffirms its commitment to “Make a success of the agricultural and agri-food transitions”, by engaging with agricultural sectors and public authorities to strengthen food sovereignty, while supporting farmers in the shift towards sustainability and helping to ease the generational transition.
“Agriculture and agri-food are currently at the intersection of many climatic, environmental, demographic, health, economic, geopolitical and food sovereignty issues. We want to ensure that they can adapt successfully.”
“In 2023, the French agricultural sector still faced a turbulent and uncertain macroeconomic context, largely due to the war in Ukraine, which has led to volatile agricultural prices and high inflation for consumers. Added to this uncertainty is the huge challenge of finding the next generation of farmers, since 45% of today’s farmers will reach retirement age within the next five years.
Crédit Agricole is the long-time partner of farmers: in France, 84% of whom are its customers today. We are naturally committed to working with the agricultural sector and public authorities to ensure that the agricultural and agri-food sectors remain competitive in future and to make professions in these fields more attractive.
To achieve this target, which is reaffirmed in our Societal Project, we have drawn up an action framework, the “Agricultural and agri-food transitions foundation”, to guide financing and investments in the sector. We also structured and launched four new investment or financing schemes in 2023, as a result of which the package we committed to will exceed €1 billion.
Agriculture and agri-food are currently at the intersection of many climatic, environmental, demographic, health, economic, geopolitical and food sovereignty issues. We want to ensure that they can adapt successfully.”
Guiding financing and investments based on five axes and 15 drivers representing the priority issues of the “transitions foundation”
Promoting the attractiveness of the farming profession
- Improving the quality of life of farmers
Compensation, better distribution of value etc. - Supporting the renewal of the generations in agriculture
Set-up, access to land etc.
Contributing to the transition to low-carbon food
- Mitigating climate impacts
Decarbonisation trajectories, carbon sequestration etc. - Adapting to climate change
Diversification of cultivated varieties and species, development of resistant varieties etc. - Supporting customers’ renewable energy production projects
Preserving natural resources
- Preserving biodiversity
Biocontrol, agroecological infrastructure, combating deforestation etc. - Preserving soils
Regenerative agriculture, fertilisation, ground cover etc. - Preserving water resources
Precision irrigation, reduction of water pollution, storage etc. - Protecting animal welfare
Changing our consumption patterns
- Managing risks in the supply chain
Sustainable supply chains, traceability – blockchain etc. - Protecting consumers’ health
Health security, simplification of prescriptions etc. - Improving transparency
Labelling, communication etc.
Producing via a circular economy
- Developing short supply chains
- Reducing food waste
- Reducing the impact of packaging
Bulk shipments, packaging returns etc.
Agri Trajectories, a tool for dialogue between farming customers and their advisor
The transitions foundation was used to produce an “Agri Transitions” questionnaire. In 2023, this was sent out to agri banking advisors in the Regional Banks to measure the ESG maturity of their farming customers. Ultimately, the questionnaire will be incorporated into the Agri Trajectories tool. The aim is to improve knowledge, understanding and guidance for farmers in view of their financial position and transition strategy. The goal is to support them in the long term with the energy transition, climate risks and greenhouse gas reduction/sequestration. The widespread deployment of Agri Trajectories within the Regional Banks is planned for 2024.
The transitions foundation was used to produce an “Agri Transitions” questionnaire. In 2023, this was sent out to agri banking advisors in the Regional Banks to measure the ESG maturity of their farming customers. Ultimately, the questionnaire will be incorporated into the Agri Trajectories tool. The aim is to improve knowledge, understanding and guidance for farmers in view of their financial position and transition strategy. The goal is to support them in the long term with the energy transition, climate risks and greenhouse gas reduction/sequestration. The widespread deployment of Agri Trajectories within the Regional Banks is planned for 2024.
Supporting the agricultural and agri-food sectors
- The development of climate insurance by Crédit Agricole Assurances and its subsidiary Pacifica: a total of 37,500 “Crops, Hail and Grassland” climate insurance contracts managed at the end of 2023; solutions for most standing crops against all climatic events; premium discounts to encourage the use of protection systems against climatic events and to help new farmers become established.
- Active participation of Crédit Agricole Assurances in all working/focus groups with the Ministry of Agriculture, representatives of professional associations and other insurers to provide a sustainable response to the challenges of protecting farmers against climate uncertainties. One of the targets is for the number of farmers covered against climate hazards in France to double by 2025.
1 in 4
Crédit Agricole Assurances has set itself the target of providing support to one in four farmers in the face of climate uncertainties by 2025.
Crédit Agricole Assurances has set itself the target of providing support to one in four farmers in the face of climate uncertainties by 2025.
Supporting the evolution of techniques towards a competitive and sustainable agri-food system
In late 2021, Crédit Agricole announced a €1 billion investment and financing package covering different schemes. In 2019, the Group had already launched a €200 million investment fund, “CA Transitions”, aimed at agriculture, agri-food and energy.
Throughout 2023, four financing and investment instruments were structured and launched:
February
launch of Ambition Agri-Agro Investissement, a €300 million private equity fund with IDIA (Ambition Agri-Agro Investissement). The first investments have been made and several projects are under consideration.
October
launch of Crédit Agricole Ambition Agri-Agro Tech, an innovation capital fund with SuperNova Invest as manager to support the future European leaders of the Agri-Agro deeptech. Endowed with €60 million by various entities of Crédit Agricole Group at its launch, it will be opened to external partners and investors in 2024 (if market conditions permit).
December
- launch of Amundi Ambition Agri-Agro Direct Lending Europe, a private debt fund (direct lending) with Amundi. Endowed with around €140 million from Crédit Agricole Group entities at its launch, subscriptions from institutional or private French and European investors will also be sought in 2024 (if market conditions permit).
- Launch for the farming customers of the Regional Banks of a €210 million first loss guarantee fund with the European Investment Fund as part of the European InvestEU programme. This targets transition investment financing for the Regional Banks’ farming customers (renewable energy, resilience to climate change, eco-schemes etc.).
The aim of these measures is to support all the Group’s customers, both upstream and downstream, in France and in Europe, by mobilising Crédit Agricole’s funds and by joining forces with third-party investors or other partners. They have as a common theme the agricultural and agri-food transitions, as defined in the “transitions foundation”.
Enabling French agriculture to contribute actively to the fight against climate change
To accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the sector and develop natural carbon sinks, Crédit Agricole Group is working to structure the voluntary agricultural carbon sector in France.
- It relies on the principle of carbon contribution (an economic actor financially supports the reduction of GHG emissions for which it is not responsible) and on the “Label Bas Carbone” (Low Carbon Label – LBC) scheme set up by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition.
- In 2024, it will launch a new low-carbon contribution scheme, “Carbioz”: this will be marketed to corporates, local authorities and associations that want to contribute to collective carbon neutrality, involving the purchase of certified voluntary carbon credits of agricultural origin to support proactive farmers committed to a low-carbon, LBC-certified transition pathway, with co-benefits in terms of biodiversity, soil regeneration and water quality.
Contributing to strengthening food sovereignty
- The introduction of café events on the themes of set-up and transfer of agricultural activities: the first regional initiative, which came about following a call for ideas launched by Crédit Agricole in 2022, was rolled out nationwide. It includes a communication kit enabling the organisation of events that connect project coordinators with future transferors.
- The launch of a new financing package in 2024, in partnership with the European Investment Bank, offering a preferential customer rate based on three pillars: setting up business, increasing the number of women and transition. The main aim of the package is to encourage female entrepreneurship in response to a strategic challenge for the farming community.
- The involvement of Crédit Agricole in government guidelines for the renewal of generations in agriculture, including the introduction of state-guaranteed loans (following the announcement on 27 February 2024) to support set-up and risk-taking. In February 2024, Crédit Agricole also launched a zero-interest loan (“coup de pouce PTZ installation Agri-Viti”) to help a new generation of farmers become established. The loan is for up to 35% of the amount invested and is capped at €50,000.