Brussels, 18/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - Financial experts from leading cooperative banks met recently in Brussels to discuss agri-cooperatives' access to finance and risk assessment. They concluded that agri-business in general and agri-cooperatives in particular were well-placed to weather the current financial crisis, their business model being based on credibility, stability and a low-risk approach, says a press release from Cogeca (Confederation of Agri-cooperatives in the EU), published on Tuesday 17 March. Speaking at the end of this high-level meeting, Cogeca President Gert Van Dijk said that “European agri-cooperatives have already tightened their belts, but they still remain beacons of financial stability overall. Cooperative banks in particular, due to their direct and long-established links with agri-cooperatives, are keeping up as much of their lending activity in agriculture, even as credit is becoming increasingly scarce”. (L.C./transl.rt)