Rabo AgriFinance Welcomes New CEO

Oct 24, 2012

Neil Dobbin Named New CEO of Rabo AgriFinance

One of the leading agriculture banks worldwide – Rabo AgriFinance has named Neil Dobbin as the new Chief Executive Officer. Dobbin is considered a veteran in the Rabobank world with 25 years of experience and has been instrumental in building the agribusiness in New Zealand and Australia.

“The United States is such an important food and agriculture market for Rabobank, and we are delighted that Neil’s considerable skills, expertise and experience in agricultural banking will help RAF in its future success and development,” Rabo AgriFinance said in a company release.

Dobbin will be succeeding John Ryan, whose endeavors have taken him to a new role of Country Manager for Rural and Retail in the US. In addition, Ryan will be the new Chief Executive Officer of Rabobank.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.