Land O’Lakes International Development recently announced a new brand and a new name — Land O’Lakes Venture37 — to boost its reputation for global leadership in helping businesses grow, linking farmers to markets and empowering communities to thrive.

“Farmers are working with approximately 37% of the earth’s land to grow the crops and raise the livestock that feed our growing global population,” explains John Ellenberger, executive director of Land O’Lakes Venture37 and senior vice president of Land O’Lakes Inc.

“Working together across continents, cultures and markets is critical to make abundant, nutritious food available so everyone can realize their full potential. It’s a challenge Land O’Lakes International Development has helped meet for nearly 40 years through more than 300 unique projects,” Ellenberger adds. “The launch of Land O’Lakes Venture37 is an exciting new chapter that builds on our long history of results.”

Ellenberger says the new name and branding maintain a clear link between the organization’s nonprofit international development mission and the value of technical expertise offered by its affiliation with Land O’Lakes Inc., one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. The new brand builds on the achievements of Land O’Lakes International Development in nearly 80 countries since 1981.

“One of the elements that truly sets Land O’Lakes Venture37 apart, and has set us apart for almost 40 years, is our close bond with a leading farmer-owned cooperative that brings nearly a century of experience unlocking the potential of dairy, livestock and crop farms in fulfillment of our purpose of Feeding Human Progress,” Ellenberger says.

“Farmers help one another, no matter where they live, and the new Land O’Lakes Venture37 brand shines a spotlight on our shared work to bring agricultural solutions to countries across the globe,” he says.

Current activities will continue across 16 projects in 10 countries, Ellenberger says. These include several projects in their early stages, with five capacity-building projects started last fall across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and three additional projects launched this year in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania.

USDA and U.S. Agency for International Development award funding for these programs, often focused on food safety, building agricultural capacity and cooperative development.

The exploding global population that is expected to reach 10 billion people by 2050 is a crucial reason the cooperative says it is helping feed the world and sustain the health of the planet.

The cooperative believes:

In 1981, a group of farmers gathered in a Minnesota board room of Land O’Lakes Inc. to discuss a bold idea: international development. As members of a cooperative dating back to 1921, these farmers knew from experience that uniting to improve agriculture can lead to healthier communities and stronger economies. They also understood that food security and economic prosperity are good for all, for business ventures, for trade and for a more secure world. This is how Land O’Lakes Venture37 got its start.

More information about Land O’Lakes Venture37 is at landolakesventure37.org.