Crédit Agricole is to join forces with Grameen Bank, the pioneering provider of microfinance, to support fledgling microlenders around the world. The French banking group yesterday said it would inject €50m to endow a foundation which will work with Grameen to provide financial guarantees and expertise to help launch microfinance institutions. The decision signals the growing attraction of microfinance - making tiny loans to very poor savers, often in developing countries - pioneered by Muhammad Yunus, Grameen's Nobel-winning founder…The foundation…may also devote some of its resources to funding so-called social enterprises, which seek to maximise social returns rather than profits.