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Desjardins, a partner of choice for La Tablée des Chefs for the second year in a row

Lévis (Québec), March 23, 2009 – Desjardins Group is proud to announce that it has partnered for the second year in a row with La Tablée des Chefs, an organization dedicated to overseeing the collection and secure redistribution of surplus food from corporate events to Les Moissons food banks across Québec.

The Group's association with La Tablée des Chefs is part of the Desjardins-wide campaign aimed at Changing the world…one step at a time established in partnership with Équiterre. The redistribution of surplus food is one of the 12 initiatives spearheaded by Desjardins since 2007 to support this campaign that is in line with the Group's objective to foster sustainable development.

The renewal of this agreement takes on new meaning as we approach the date of Desjardins Group's Annual General Meetings on March 28, 2009. Each year, more than 2,000 people gather in what is the largest eco-responsible event hosted by the cooperative financial institution.

Due to the efforts of La Tablée des Chefs, any surplus food from these meetings will be distributed to community organizations in the Montréal area. In 2008, about 1,000 servings were redistributed following large events that were organized and hosted by Desjardins.

Delighted by the partnership with La Tablée des Chefs, Pauline D'Amboise, Secretary General of Desjardins Group, believes that the redistribution of surplus food should become an ongoing exercise in a greater number of organizations, especially since it does not require much legwork. "The La Tablée des Chefs facilitates the process between all those involved in the planning stages of an event. With La Tablée, the redistribution of food is a simple gesture that can make a real difference to those in need," stated Ms. D'Amboise. Another small step toward changing the world…one step at a time!

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada, with overall assets of $152 billion, as at December 31, 2008. It comprises a network of caisses, credit unions and business centres in Québec and Ontario, and some twenty subsidiary companies in life and general insurance, securities brokerage, venture capital and asset management, many of which are active across the country. Drawing on the expertise of its 42,000 employees and the commitment of its 6,300 elected officers, Desjardins offers its 5.8 million individual and corporate members and clients a full range of financial products and services. Its physical distribution network is complemented by leading-edge virtual access methods. To find out more, consult www.desjardins.com.

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Renseignements (à l'intention des journalistes uniquement) :

Caroline Phémius
Conseillère en communication
Information et Relations de presse
Mouvement des caisses Desjardins
514-281-7000, poste 7646 ou 1-866-866-7000, poste 7646