Land O'Lakes Venture37

What Land O'Lakes Venture37 does

Land O'Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit international development organization, founded in 1981 and rebranded from Land O'Lakes International Development in 2019, headquartered in Arden Hills, Minnesota with a policy office in Washington, DC. The organization designs and implements agricultural development projects for smallholder farmers and adjacent value-chain actors — agribusinesses, cooperatives, financial institutions, and government ministries — across nearly 80 countries, with current program density in East, Central, and Southern Africa. Its work spans competitive markets, resilient agricultural systems, and nutrition-secure communities, delivered through grant-funded programs from USAID, USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, AGRA, and bilateral governments of Australia, Canada, and the UK.

The operating model is delivered through donor-funded field programs rather than commercial products, but in practical terms Venture37 has built a portfolio of repeatable technical platforms: a network of 330+ farmer field schools (notably in DRC), a seven-module distance-learning curriculum for fall armyworm management, a market-systems development methodology for animal-sourced foods, push-pull intercropping pest management, and a simplified warehouse receipt system for post-harvest loss reduction. Underlying delivery relies on agricultural science, agronomic field data, and on-the-ground extension rather than software-as-a-service — there are no named software products, APIs, or platforms in the source material. Branding and execution draw heavily from Land O'Lakes, Inc. (a Fortune 500 farmer-owned cooperative, ~$14–15B revenue), supplying subject-matter expertise, volunteer talent, and affiliated capabilities through Villa Crop Protection and WinField United.

Revenue mechanics are entirely grant-driven: competitive cooperative agreements with USAID and USDA, plus foundation and philanthropic funding. Project-scale signals (Orora Wihaze leveraged $82.6M of producer sales and $5.3M of private investment; TI3P built 41 milk collection centers with 108,000-litre daily capacity) imply individual awards in the $5M–$50M range, with a most-likely annual operating budget in the high-tens-of-millions. Go-to-market is event-driven (donor RFPs), supported by content marketing, social media, conference participation (e.g., Borlaug Dialogue), and partner-distributed reach. Customer concentration is high in funder terms: bilateral U.S. government agencies (USAID, USDA) anchor the majority of program value, with foundation partners as a secondary tier.

Name

Land O'Lakes Venture37

Legal name

Land O'Lakes Venture37

Website

https://landolakesventure37.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Land O'Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1981, that designs and implements grant-funded agricultural development projects for smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, and governments across nearly 80 countries, primarily financed by USAID, USDA, and major foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Capital Projects & Farm Expansion Advisory (Feasibility, Site Planning, ROI) (AFACAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farm Finance, Input Procurement & Risk Tools (Budgeting, Inventory, Insurance Links) (AFAAAFAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural development
• International development programs
• Smallholder farmer services
• Food security consulting
• Agricultural extension training

Headquarters

HQ city

Arden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding from Bilateral Government Agencies: Primary revenue from competitive grants and cooperative agreements with USAID, USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, and government funders including Australia, Canada, UK, and US governments. Funders support specific agricultural development projects in target countries.
2. Foundation and Philanthropic Funding: Funding from private foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World through its Agricultural Transformation Initiative, and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Land O'Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and implements international agricultural development projects. It delivers market insights and technical expertise—spanning competitive markets, resilient agricultural systems, and nutrition-secure communities—through donor-funded programs targeting smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, and government institutions across nearly 80 countries.

Product overview

Land O'Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit international development organization that designs and implements agricultural development projects rather than offering a commercial product or software platform. Its work spans competitive markets, resilient agricultural systems, and nutrition-secure communities, delivered through donor-funded development programs (e.g., Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity, Feed the Future DRC Fall Armyworm Activity, RAMA-BC Mozambique). No standalone branded software products, modules, or platforms were identified in the source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Feed the Future Orora Wihaze Activity (Rwanda)

Quantifiable outcome

• 180,250 Rwandans reached with animal-sourced food interventions
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Land O'Lakes, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLand O'Lakes Venture37 maintains a strategic affiliation with Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's largest farmer-owned cooperatives with $14 billion in revenue. Land O'Lakes, Inc. provides expertise across dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs, and agricultural technologies. The affiliation gives Venture37 access to nearly 100 years of agribusiness expertise and enables volunteer talent exchange programs where Land O'Lakes, Inc. employees support development projects.
• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with AGRA to develop and distribute Fall Armyworm distance learning modules across Africa, working with Villa Crop Protection to create training materials for extension agents and smallholder farmers.
• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIITA is the key implementing partner for the Feed the Future DRC Fall Armyworm Activity, providing technical expertise for integrated pest management solutions for smallholder maize producers.
• Villa Crop ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVilla Crop Protection is co-owned by Land O'Lakes, Inc. and provides agronomic expertise, crop protection products, and technical training for fall armyworm management and other agricultural development activities across multiple projects.
• WinField UnitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinField United provides agricultural services, agronomic insights, and digital solutions. They sponsored the USAID FAW Tech Prize competition and serve as strategic advisors for agricultural technology initiatives.
• Catholic Relief ServicesmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCatholic Relief Services leads the Maharo project in Madagascar with Land O'Lakes Venture37 as technical partner focused on animal production, animal health, and livestock development.
• TechnoServe / Partners in Food SolutionsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership for the USDA Malawi Strengthening Inclusive Markets for Agriculture (MSIKA) project to pioneer enterprise development and structured trading systems for horticultural products.
• Michigan State UniversityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAcademic partner for the Malawi MSIKA project contributing research and technical expertise for horticultural market development.
• AHL Commodities ExchangeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for the Malawi MSIKA project providing structured trading system expertise for horticultural products.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Centre for Agricultural Transformation (CAT) consortium contributing research expertise and supporting agricultural innovation development in Malawi.
• Stellenbosch UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the CAT consortium providing advanced degree programs and research support for Malawian students studying food science and technology.
• Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost university for CAT consortium activities in Malawi, benefiting from curriculum development support, student sponsorships, and technology garage equipment funding.
• Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for CAT-supported research-on-demand program where students conduct agricultural research addressing smallholder farmer challenges in targeted value chains.
• Heifer International TanzaniamajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner in Tanzania supporting dairy sector development, milk collection infrastructure, and market access for smallholder farmers ahead of National Milk Week 2026.
• National Food Safety Authority (Egypt)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEgyptian government food safety authority partnered with through the TAIB program to modernize food import control systems and create new food safety standards and regulations.
• Corteva AgrisciencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner through the Kenya Nourishing Prosperity Alliance (KNPA) partnership contributing to dairy farmer empowerment and nutrition programs.
• Forage Genetics InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in KNPA project providing expertise for improved forage production and storage to enhance dairy productivity in Kenya.
• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in KNPA project providing expertise on animal health, livestock systems, and nutrition for smallholder dairy farmers.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA): Africa-led institution focused on inclusive agricultural transformation. Strategic partner on Fall Armyworm learning modules but also a direct peer competing for foundation and bilateral ag development dollars across the continent.
• TechnoServe: Nonprofit working with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Direct peer implementing the Malawi MSIKA project alongside Venture37 and competing for similar agribusiness development grants.
• Winrock International: Nonprofit implementing agricultural, environment, and social development programs globally. Direct peer with overlapping USAID funding sources, agricultural value chain focus, and similar scale of operation.
• ACDI/VOCA: Economic development nonprofit implementing agribusiness, market systems, and cooperative-based programs worldwide. Direct peer with comparable USAID-funded portfolio, cooperative heritage, and smallholder market systems focus.
• Heifer International: Global nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through sustainable livestock and smallholder agriculture. Direct peer given the shared livestock-centric, cooperative-affiliated, donor-funded development model and overlapping geographies (Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya).
• CNFA (Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture): International agricultural development organization implementing market-driven, donor-funded programs across Africa and Asia. Direct peer competing for the same USAID and foundation agricultural development RFPs.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): One of the largest US-based INGOs implementing agriculture, health, and emergency programs globally. Implementation partner on Venture37's Madagascar Maharo project but a much larger incumbent competing across most agricultural development RFPs.

Emerging players

• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI): CGIAR-affiliated livestock research organization partnered with Venture37 on the Kenya Nourishing Prosperity Alliance. Adjacent peer with shared livestock focus and overlapping geographies but operating as a research institution rather than direct implementer.
• Fintrac: Smallholder-focused agricultural development consulting firm implementing USAID Feed the Future activities. Comparable in scale and donor base, with similar crop and market systems focus, though narrower in livestock and cooperative work.
• Tanager International: Nonprofit (formerly an ACDI/VOCA affiliate) implementing market-driven agricultural development programs for women, youth, and smallholders. Smaller peer with comparable methodology around market systems and cooperative development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LandOLakesV37
• Facebookfacebook.com/LandOLakesV37
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/landolakesv37

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Land O'Lakes Venture37