Member News > October 2018 > International Development awarded funding for five new programs
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International Development awarded funding for five new programs

USAID, USDA funding will support major new agricultural development efforts in Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East
 

Cow In A Field

With nearly a century of experience, Land O'Lakes, Inc. knows a thing or two about farming. Since 1981, we’ve shared this expertise through Land O'Lakes International Development (LOLID), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliated with Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Some of the first programs that LOLID implemented in the early 1980’s involved having farmers from around the world train and live on Land O’Lakes, Inc. member farms for six months. Today, the majority of their international development work is focused on building countries’ economies by strengthening local agriculture, helping businesses create jobs and linking farmers to markets, ultimately to ensure food security and global security.

Land O’Lakes International Development still leverages the expertise of our nearly century-old, farmer-owned cooperative to improve livelihoods and enhance agriculture worldwide. That work has been enhanced by a new announcement that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have awarded funding to support new agricultural capacity building and food safety programs led by Land O’Lakes International Development.

The new programs are:

  • Lebanon (Food Safety): The Lebanon Investment in Quality (LINQ) Program, funded by USAID, is a three-year project focused on enhancing food safety and quality expertise in the agribusiness and fresh products sectors. The project will leverage technical support from Land O’Lakes, Inc. quality assurance experts, including both in-country volunteers and distance mentoring assignments.
  • Rwanda and Malawi (Cooperative Development Program): LOLID’s strong business relationships and cooperative management expertise will help provide assistance to Rwandan and Malawian agricultural cooperatives through USAID. In addition to technical advice from the Land O’Lakes, Inc. Member Relations team, Land O’Lakes, Inc. member cooperatives will also provide technical assistance for the project.
  • Georgia (Food Safety – Food for Progress): Working alongside experts at Michigan State University and the Georgian Farmers Association, LOLID will work with Georgian dairy and livestock agribusinesses to improve food safety and quality protocols. We will build up food safety best practices through a strong private sector-led effort, supported by the project partners and incorporating food safety expertise from Land O’Lakes, Inc. Funding for this five-year program is provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service via the Food for Progress Program.
  • Egypt (Food Safety – Food for Progress): A five-year project will focus on work alongside the Government of Egypt and Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority to inspect and coach food businesses in new food safety standards. The program will leverage the expertise of the International Food Protection Training Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The program has been awarded funding from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service via the Food for Progress Program.
  • Egypt, Lebanon and Bangladesh (Farmer-to-Farmer Food Safety and Quality): Farmer-to-Farmer Food Safety and Quality (F2F FSQ) is a five-year USAID-funded program that will provide technical assistance to host organizations by utilizing volunteer expertise. Land O’Lakes International Development began implementing Farmer-to-Farmer programs in 1987 and have sent more than 1,400 volunteers — including over 160 Land O’Lakes, Inc. staff and cooperative members — on F2F assignments in 27 countries.

“Land O’Lakes International Development welcomes the ongoing partnership of USAID and USDA as we continue leveraging the expertise of a nearly century-old, farmer-owned cooperative to improve livelihoods and enhance agriculture worldwide,” said John Ellenberger, executive director of Land O’Lakes International Development. “We’re excited to build collaborative efforts for international economic development that unite host country agricultural stakeholders, Land O’Lakes, Inc. farmers and technical staff, government leaders and academic experts to maximize results.”