Farmers and their financial institutions

What leads to a good relationship between farmers and their financial institutions? This question has been driving the author and therefore he conducted studies in Northern Germany and the US state of Iowa which yielded pertinent case studies that are presented in this book in order to illustrate which proceedings and behaviors endow intact professional relationships between both parties. Agricultural Operations need financing just like any other business. Some peculiarities like the dependency on soil quality, weather conditions and ecosystem shape along with social, ethical and cultural issues that are related with the production of plants and animals primarily destined for human consumption provide for a unique status of the sector. The behavior of farmers in financial affairs is naturally colored by these factors. The services of financial institutions like banks are to invest and gather money as well as to facilitate payments. Their business is crucial for functioning economies. Bundling the skills of money lenders and farmers can enable powerful partnerships with high potential for sustainable and profitable businesses that are good for all of us. Fruitful communciation and successful deals between the two are especially important before the context of rising prices for oil, agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and plant protection along with new tasks for agriculture in the field of energy plant production. The practical, calculation related factors are well known and therefore this book has set itself the goal of providing some insights into the “human element” of agricultural finance