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 | Sustainable development | |
 Inauguration of Calyon's sustainable charity program
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On November 13, Calyon held a press conference with Heifer in Beijing. The theme was "Teaching fishing better than giving fish - Calyon team up with Heifer to help Chinese underprivileged farmers".
X. Roux, D. Blanchard, A. Leung
and C. Taiyong at the press conference | 
D. Blanchard introduces Calyon to A. Leung |
Before the Heifer Project presentation, the conference was opened by the speech of Dominique Blanchard, Deputy Head of Fixed Income Markets, in presence of Xavier Roux, SCO of Calyon China, Frederic Laine, Head of Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities, Asia ex-Japan, Antony Leung, Chairman of Heifer International - Hong Kong and Chen Taiyong, Heifer CHina Country Director.
Press release Calyon Heifer project
Yunnan Tengchong Community Development & Biodiversity Conservation Project | |
The Yunnan Tengchong Community Development & Biodiversity Conservation Project has three main objectives:
- income generation
- biodiversity conservation
- achieving social harmony
Income Generation
This project will provide an interest-free loan of USD 626 (RMB 5,000) to each of 200 poor households in Tengchong County of Yunnan Province, China. Tengchong is located in western Yunnan, bordering with Myanmar (formerly Burma).
21.5% of the agricultural population of 480,000 in Tengchong has an annual per capita income of below USD 115 (around RMB 920). Most recipient families are from the Lisu ethnic group
The loan provided will be used to purchase pigs, goats, sheep, milk buffalo, water buffalo, or cattle. The Tengchong County Bureau of Animal Husbandry (BAH) will be the project partner and will provide training on animal management including breeding, feeding, and disease control so as to increase animal productivity and improve farmers' income.
Biodiversity Conservation
Tengchong County is located in the Gao Li Gong National Nature Reserve. With total area of over 40,000 hectares, the reserve is the largest forest and wildlife reserves in Yunnan Province and has been rated by World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) as a reserve with international significance. With a subtropical monsoon climate and an altitude that ranges from 930m to 3,780m, Tengchong is rich in natural resources. The forest coverage rate is 52% with over 14,000 plant species. Economic development in recent years has caused soil erosion and decrease of natural vegetation. To protect the local ecosystem, Heifer will hold training and activities for target farmers on the importance of biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.
Most families in the project area own some forest land and have re-planted trees. However, because of a lack of environmental knowledge, the tree species planted were not diverse enough, leading to poor growth rate of the forest.
The project will work with the Gao Li Gong Conservation Office of the local government to provide a diversity of native endangered tree seedlings to project families. The replanted forest will be a mixed forest that restores biodiversity as well as bring economic benefits to project families.
The pigs selected for recipient families belong to a rare indigenous species of small ear pig. They grow fast, fatten quickly and have strong resistance to diseases. Crossbreeding with other pig species by local farmers in the past has sharply reduced the number of small ear pigs to only 10,000. This project will help protect this native species while helping families generate income.
Achieving Social Harmony
Because of convenient transportation and border with Myanmar, drug trafficking and HIV/AIDS have become a problem and caused social insecurity. Heifer will conduct training in Heifer Cornerstones, gender equity, HIV/AIDS prevention and ant-drug trafficking to achieve social harmony.
Passing on the Gift
Heifer China will help project families elect and form 5 self-help groups to participate in project monitoring, evaluation, and passing on the gift.
All project families will sign a "Passing on the Gift" agreement before they receive a loan to purchase the animals. They will pass on the same amount of money received from Heifer within 2-3 years, helping an additional 200 families within 5 years. Knowledge and skills will also be passed on to new families. The local project partner and Heifer China will organize and monitor the pass-on process. This process will continue with subsequent generations of needy families after repayments are received from the first generation of "pass-on" family.
Calyon, Lead Sponsor of the Race to Feed 2007 | |
Calyon is also the Lead Sponsor of the Race to Feed 2007 event in Hong Kong, organised by Heifer International - Hong Kong on October 27th.
Race to feed is Heifer International - Hong Kong's annual fundraising event aimed at raising public awareness of heifer's work in poverty alleviation and raising funds to support Heifer's program in China.
The Race format is a multi-legged race for corporations and it requires team spirit and collaboration. Involving teams of 10 each, members are required to tie legs together to form 11 legs and compete on a distance of 90m and overcome obstacles and challenges set along the route.
Thanks to the sponsors and Heifer International US, every dollar raised through this event will go direct to the Heifer China Program to lift families out of poverty.
Race to feed 2007
Crédit Agricole: helping to support civil society | |
EUR 21.6 million allocated to socially-responsible projects
With its 5.6 million member-stakeholders and an average of one director for each municipal division, Crédit Agricole benefits from a strong local presence, helping it to support regional growth. Over three-quarters of the Regional Banks support the local development fund created for this purpose. Four of them have set up a foundation and seven have created an association. In 2006, the Regional Banks provided financing for 6,000 projects representing a total of EUR 18 million: 51% concerned regional programmes, 24% concerned solidarity, 19% concerned economic development and 6% concerned cultural heritage. With national associations and foundations, Crédit Agricole has invested nearly EUR 21.6 million in development and solidarity projects in France and worldwide.
Greater employee solidarity
The Crédit Agricole Solidarité Développement association and the Fondation Solidarité Mutualiste supported the Regional Banks in 44 projects in France and Southern Europe in 2006. Two socially responsible investment funds (FCPs) - Pacte Vert Tiers Monde and Pacte Solidarité Logement – were created, allowing Regional Bank customers to contribute a portion of interest earned to social projects. One of these programmes - the Sahel Vert II programme - led by the Eau Vive NGO, involves the Group's employees in supporting the "Water in Sahel" project.
The Group therefore demonstrates its social solidarity at times of severe crises. Of the EUR 2 million provided for the reconstruction of villages destroyed by the tsunami at the end of 2005, around EUR 1.5 million has been committed to specific projects. A total of 20 projects have been financed, including PlanetFinance, Care France and Architectes de l'Urgence projects. 260 boats, 18 schools, one hospital, one orphanage, an operating block and 360 houses have been rebuilt or renovated.
During the Chikungunya crisis, the Group worked with Caisse Régionale de La Réunion by providing EUR 1 million to help customers in difficulty.
Developing microfinance in Madagascar
ICAR, an association created by Caisse Régionale du Nord-Est and professionals in the cereals industry to support the CECAM cooperative agricultural financial institutions ("Caisses d'Epargne et de Crédit Mutuels") in Madagascar, has provided assistance for two new Madagascan microfinance networks. Thanks to the support of eight Regional Banks and Crédit Agricole Solidarité Développement, in addition to acquiring an equity investment, the association provides technical help (restructuring of networks, training, sponsorship, audit, accounting etc.). In total, close to €1.3 million will be mobilised between now and 2009.
Eco-friendly products
In 2005, Crédit Agricole pressed ahead with its actions in favour of the environment in the agricultural sector. The Group renewed its partnership with FARRE (the Forum for Responsible, Environmentallyfriendly Agriculture). One of the highlights was the Espoirs de l'agriculture raisonnée competition, which recognises the initiatives of innovative and ecologically responsible farmers throughout France. More than 200 projects from some twenty départments were submitted. Thirty-six projects won awards on a regional level. They were subsequently studied by the national jury chaired by Allain Bougrain Dubourg, the Chairman of the Bird Conservation League. The jury awarded prizes to three projects.
In 2005, more than half of the Regional Banks assumed 20% of the costs incurred by farmers to obtain "reasonable farming" certification to encourage farmers to adopt these practices. In addition, some Regional Banks assumed 20% of the costs incurred by farmers to obtain organic-farming certification. A technical and economic reference guidebook was also published in cooperation with FNAB (Fédération Nationale des Agriculteurs Biologiques). The guidebook is designed to provide better information to account managers on the organic farming market and its financial structures so that they can make optimum adjustments to the products and financing ranges they offer.
A partnership was signed in early 2006 with the Bird Conservation League, to review biodiversity at 160 farms. Actions aimed at enhancing biological diversity will subsequently be launched. This programme, backed by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Ecology, is also supported by the "FARRE", "organic farmers" and "sustainable agriculture" networks.
Crédit Agricole and LCL helped finance a study initiated by the ADEME and the inter-ministerial mission on greenhouse gas effects that is reviewing banking practices in Europe in terms
of reduced-interest loans extended to individual customers for sustainable housing projects.
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Founded in 2000, Heifer International - Hong Kong supports Heifer´s program in China. Heifer International is a non profit organisation dedicated to ending world hunger by providing animals and training to help impoverished families around the world become self-reliant.
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