This $200M bank is backed by Parmesan Cheese and is lending people money for cheese In Northern Italy, Credito Emiliano treats cheese like gold The bank currently holds 430,000 wheels of Parmesan worth about $200 million Real Parmesan takes two to three years to get ready This leaves farmers with millions of dollars in premature products they can’t sell, while still needing to pay for cows, bills, and workers By using young cheese as security for a loan, farmers get cash immediately The bank provides up to 80% of the value upfront so these businesses stay running While the loan is active, the cheese stays in high tech vaults where experts look after it If a farmer can't pay, the bank simply sells the aged cheese for a profit