NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rabobank is seeking nominations for its annual Food & Agribusiness (F&A) industry awards, which recognize North American companies that excel in leadership, sustainability and innovation.
The awards are unlike any other in the F&A industry, showcasing those companies – from corporations to fast-growing small businesses – that are truly reshaping the market.
“With the fast-paced developments in the F&A industry driven by consumer trends and technology and a growing, shared responsibility for ensuring a robust global food system, it’s ever more important for companies to demonstrate leadership, sustainability and innovation in their space,” said Paul Beiboer, CEO, Rabobank North America. “We look forward to recognizing remarkable organizations that are making great strides towards success in ensuring the enhanced availability, access and quality of our food for years to come.”
Company nominations for the 2018 Awards across the three categories below will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EDT August 10, 2018 and must include highlighted initiatives and achievements from June 30, 2017 to June 30, 2018. Nominees are screened through extensive research using publicly available information and review by an independent judging panel of esteemed individuals across industry, academia and the public sector.
Award Categories
Companies operating in the F&A industry in the United States, Canada, or Mexico may either nominate themselves or be nominated by a third party for one or more of the awards. Please click on the links below to access the nomination forms.
The overarching Rabobank Award for Leadership & Excellence recognizes a large-scale market leader that has demonstrated great and lasting impact in its sector. The winner will have:
- Achieved significant success as a leader in building, rejuvenating or expanding a business in the food, agribusiness or beverage sectors;
- Taken responsibility for environmental and social wellbeing, shared values for business and society, good corporate citizenship and an excellent track record in social commitments;
- Been recognized and set standards of excellence within the industry;
- Strong financial performance
The 2017 Rabobank Award for Leadership & Excellence was awarded to Bon Appétit Management Company for pioneering environmentally sound sourcing policies, including programs addressing local purchase, overuse of antibiotics and farmworkers’ rights within all its on-site restaurant companies.
The Rabobank Leader in Sustainability Award recognizes an organization that has achieved unique strides towards business, environmental, social and governance sustainability. The winner will have:
- Developed programs and/or initiatives aimed at improving business, environmental, social and governance sustainability;
- Demonstrated alignment between sustainability strategy and core business priorities; defined and clearly communicated sustainability guidelines and commitments;
- Positioned itself as a good corporate citizen and demonstrated social commitments;
- Strong financial performance
Nature’s Path Foods received the 2017 Rabobank Leader in Sustainability Award for developing a unique model for increasing the domestic supply of organic grains and achieving zero-waste certifications for all three of its food production facilities.
The Rabobank Emerging Leader in Innovation Award recognizes a fast-growing small business/startup that addresses issues in the food and agribusiness space in a new and innovative way. The winner will have:
- Operated in the industry for 10 years or less;
- Demonstrated a distinct innovation in the food and agriculture supply chain and/or offered new choice, value and convenience to customers;
- Demonstrated good corporate citizenship;
- Demonstrated strong financial performance / investor interest and potential for market expansion
The 2017 Rabobank Emerging Leader in Innovation Award winner, MycoTechnology, developed the world’s first certified organic bitter blocker, utilizing mushroom fermentation to create novel functional ingredients that improve the taste, value and nutritional characteristics of agricultural products.
Award winners will be notified by Rabobank in October and will be announced publicly and honored at the annual Food & Agribusiness Summit hosted by the bank on November 29, 2018 in New York City.
About Rabobank
Rabobank Group is a global financial services leader providing wholesale and retail banking, leasing, and real estate services in more than 40 countries worldwide. Founded over a century ago, Rabobank today is one of the world’s largest banks with over $750 billion in assets. In the Americas, Rabobank is a premier bank to the food, agribusiness and beverage industry, providing sector expertise, strategic counsel and tailored financial solutions to clients across the entire food value chain. Additional information is available on our website or on our social media platforms, including Twitter and LinkedIn.
