Land O'Lakes Venture37

01/09/2025

Did you know that Land O'Lakes, Inc. sends their , , and experts to countries around the world to volunteer their time to help reduce and boost ? Check out how a Feed the Future project in the is leveraging Land O’Lakes, Inc. volunteer expertise to helping maize producers reduce food loss and increase profitability: http://spr.ly/6184a8NO8

01/07/2025

Over the past five years, the Feed the Future Orora Wihaze project has supported Rwandan producer and consumer households in the sector to sustainably boost markets for animal-sourced foods. Here are a few of the team's amazing results:

🏡 127,711 households have increased their income by ~30 percent
👶🏾 66.2 percent of children under five in target regions are receiving a minimum acceptable diet
🛠️ 168,800 people applying improved practices and technologies, that boost food security and/or business models
📈 USD $5.3 Million in private sector investments deployed to support and

Watch the video to learn more:

Through a market systems development approach, the Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze project funded by USAID has supported Rwandan producer and consumer ho...

12/20/2024

This fall, our team launched the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food for Progress Cambodia HortSafe project, which will expand trade for Cambodian horticultural products. HortSafe is increasing food safety compliance by developing science and risk-based technical regulations and standards, finalizing ’s national Policy, and supporting the implementation of risk-based inspections. Learn more about the project here: http://spr.ly/6186QCnUC

12/09/2024

Running a business as a couple can be tough, especially when harmful gender dynamics are brought into the fold. To help couples navigate these challenges, a Feed the Future program in hosted tailored sessions for couple-owned businesses to foster dialogue and redefine traditional , starting in their own homes. Learn more in this Marketlinks blog by Antoine Niyitegeka, Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor for the Feed the Future Orora Wihaze Activity, w/ implementing partner Catholic Relief Services.

Disclaimer: Some names have been changed in this story to

12/09/2024

Last week, the Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity celebrated its final milestone after a five-year effort to transform market systems in to achieve stronger, sustainable for producers and consumers alike.

We're grateful for all of our partners, including from USAID - US Agency for International Development, the Government of Rwanda, the Activity's partners, and implementing partners Catholic Relief Services, MarketShare Associates, and JSI. Learn more about the activity here: http://spr.ly/6188QRoro

12/06/2024

Poultry meat and eggs are not only nutritious, they also require little land and water to produce, making them a sustainable animal-sourced food option.... one of the many reasons we promote sustainable poultry value chains! 🐔

Recently, Venture37 reps from two of our programs in participated on a two-day event on poultry in . Hosted by the Food Action Alliance, Tanzania Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, & AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Systems., the forum convened experts to brainstorm productive, inclusive, and competitive solutions for the region's poultry sector.

Thank you to Dr. Johns Nyirongo, Neema Mrema, Fidel O'Donovan, Edgar Begasha, and Nchele Kuleile for representing our team!

11/25/2024

In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, many rural farmers struggle to find care for their . Without proper care and services, some livestock become less productive, while others become sick and may even die. For farmers who depend on livestock to earn a living, this can be crippling.

Lasha Avaliani, Deputy Chief of Party of the U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Food for Progress SQIL activity, joined experts from across the region at a Mendel University in Brno / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) workshop to tackle these issues. He shared how his team has leveraged grants to partner with input suppliers, enhancing advisory services for livestock farmers in the Republic of Georgia. Learn more about the workshop: http://spr.ly/6180sSB38

11/20/2024

In the , many producers struggle to make a profit due to post-harvest lost. A Feed the Future program leveraged Land O'Lakes, Inc.'s "Gigs" rotation to train maize producers up to reduce in their local warehouses. Learn more about Phillip Schmitt's recommendations for producers, including product rotation, pest management practices, and inbound inspection processes: http://spr.ly/6180saOcu

11/12/2024

Congratulations to Katherine for being selected as the Farmer-to-Farmer Venture37 volunteer of the year! Read her story and how she helped support food systems in Rwanda and Egypt.

Farmer-to-Farmer Venture37

Katherine Cassidy is O'Lakes Venture37 's 2024 Volunteer of the Year.

“As volunteers we are learning as much as the participants. ... These experiences are changing the lives of local people, of course; but [they] have also changed my life in so many wonderful ways. That’s why I continue to seek Farmer-to-Farmer assignments across Africa and beyond,” Katherine Cassidy said.

Read more of her story: https://farmer-to-farmer.org/media/news/article/2024/11/farmer-to-farmer-changing-lives-of-volunteers

11/12/2024

Calling all experts! Tomorrow November 12, the World Trade Organization - WTO's Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee is hosting a special virtual & in-person technical meeting on guidelines for voluntary third-party assurance (vTPA) programs in , Switzerland. Our own Johnson Ssubi will be sharing lessons on the use of data in National Food Control Systems in and . Learn more and register:

Global trade - The World Trade Organization (WTO) deals with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.

11/11/2024

How to reconcile the impact of livestock emissions on with the important role that the sector plays to support food security and livelihoods in LMICs? As part of its livestock programming, Venture37 has joined a & Livestock Solutions Group and contributed to evidence briefs published by Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D) ahead of that build the investment case for the sector, provide robust quantification methods for estimating livestock emissions, and offer guidance for policy levers to unlock climate finance.

Learn more in our latest blog by Rebecca Chamberlin and Danielle Niedermaier, in which they share a case study from and : http://spr.ly/6187SfTWx

11/05/2024

Through a USAID - US Agency for International Development volunteer exchange activity under the Farmer-to-Farmer program, strategic management expert Katherine Cassidy led a training for food businesses in and - with a focus on supporting women in the industry: http://spr.ly/6180ScVdK

Farmer-to-Farmer Venture37

The U.S. volunteer expert, Katherine Cassidy, spent four weeks in Egypt and Rwanda training NGOs and SMEs on strategic management and leadership, under the U...