Foreword

Transparency and reliability are essential prerequisites for trust – especially in an environment shaped by profound economic and regulatory changes. As a development bank for the agricultural sector and rural areas, Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank bears a particular responsibility to assess developments at an early stage and communicate them in a comprehensible manner.

Although we are not legally required to report under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), we have consciously decided to voluntarily publish a report based on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). For us, this decision reflects a clear commitment: We want to create transparency not only where it is required by regulation, but also where it makes strategic sense.

Sustainability is not an end in itself – neither for us nor for the companies we support. What truly matters is the long-term competitiveness of the agricultural and food industries. Structured and standardized reporting supports precisely this goal: it creates comparability, increases the significance of non-financial information, and strengthens the foundation for well-informed business and financial decisions.

Aligning with the ESRS helps us systematically analyze key risks and opportunities, further develop our processes, and refine our management tools. At the same time, we are responding to the growing information needs of capital markets, business partners, and the public. As a development institution that refinances itself on international capital markets, we rely on robust and internationally compatible reporting standards.

With this report, we are contributing to greater clarity and transparency in a changing regulatory environment. We see it as part of the ongoing development of our governance and management structures – and as a signal for forward-looking and responsible management.