Crédit Agricole CIB has been active in China for more than 100 years, and is one of the longest-established foreign banks in the country. It was among the first banks authorised to process transactions in Yuan. It has participated in many infrastructure, financing and investment projects in China and works on strengthening its relationships with its local partners.
True to the values of the Crédit Agricole Group, which began life as a cooperative institution making agricultural loans in 1894, Crédit Agricole CIB is seeking to develop long-term relationships with its clients and to advance solutions that serve the interests of the whole society.

On November 13, 2007, Crédit Agricole CIB Fixed Income Markets Asia invested in a three-year partnership with Heifer InternationalHeifer International is a non-profit organisation that develops programmes to fight poverty in more than 50 countries. Its special emphasis is on helping rural communities while instilling in them a spirit of environmental responsibility. It trains them not only in agricultural techniques, but also in preserving the natural environment. to help many households in the Yunnan Tengchong region. This programme has successfully lifted around 330 families out of poverty and significantly improved the local community’s environmental and ecological awareness. By the end of 2011, around 500 families will benefit from” Passing on the Gift”.

In 2010, Crédit Agricole CIB extended its partnership with Heifer to Sichuan Province. This second partnership supports two projects, namely Sichuan Yilong Mountainous Community Environmentally Friendly Development Project and Sichuan Earthquake Rehabilitation Project.
The first one aims at helping impoverished farmers become self-reliant and preserving the environment in Dengbao Village, Caijiaping Village and Mengziliang Village, Yilong County, Sichuan. Crédit Agricole CIB’s fund will support 232 original families passing on their animals’ offspring to another 381 families within four years. In total 613 families will eventually benefit from Crédit Agricole CIB’s donation.
For the second project, Crédit Agricole CIB’s contribution will support families affected by a deadly earthquake in Sichuan in May 2008, aiming to help 136 families in total in the next four years.

As a major regional player and a front-line observer of economic and social realities, the Crédit Agricole group upholds the values of local involvement and solidarity. Its actions aim to contribute to fair and responsible development, guarding clients against exclusion from the banking system, supporting professional microcredit in France and developing microfinance globally.

Microfinance projects such as those of ICAR are carried out internationally. ICAR was created in 1999 by the Caisse Régionale du Nord-Est and grain industry professionals. Thanks to the support of three regional banks and Crédit Agricole Solidarity and Development, it is currently helping to develop three microfinance networks in Madagascar: “Mutuelle du Mandrare” (FIVOY), CECAM and TIAVO. ICAR is a reference shareholder of IFRA, a Malagasy financial institution supporting and financing “Mutuelle du Mandrare” and TIAVO.
ICAR also assures the technical support of the Tiavo Fianarantsoa network. It specialises particularly in consulting services, including restructuring networks, training, sponsorships, audit, accounting, etc.

ICAR will spend EUR 915, 000 by 2012 in technical support for FIVOY, CECAM and TIAVO. It intends to collect around EUR 2 million from the European Union and AFD (French Development Agency) for these three networks.

This commitment led to the launch of the Grameen Crédit Agricole Microfinance Foundation in February 2008 by Grameen Trust and Crédit Agricole. This foundation’s purpose is to fight global poverty through financial and technical support to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing or emerging countries. With EUR 50 million available, it provides the complete range of financing to these institutions – credits, guarantees, capital – as well as a platform for consulting, discussion and technical assistance.