Land O'Lakes Venture37 believes that by empowering producers and processors to follow best practices in food safety and quality, we can address critical barriers to nutrition and help emerging economies gain access to new markets.

Our Approach

Venture37 takes a private sector partnership approach to build capacity in food safety and quality of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Since 1981, Venture37 has leveraged the expertise of Land O'Lakes, Inc., a Fortune 200 agribusiness and member of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), to provide industry insights and technical assistance directly to SMEs.

We use the Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI) Global Markets Programme to assess food producer and processor practices, identify problem areas and align with GFSI benchmarked food safety program certifications. GFSI benchmarked certification programs are recognized by some participating members of the CGF which include some of the world’s leading food brands like Cargill, Coca-Cola, Danone, Mondelez, Nestle, Pepsi-Co and Walmart. Venture37 adapts the Global Markets Framework and Land O'Lakes, Inc.’s internal Enterprise Quality Management System to the priorities of our local partners to provide scaled support. We work with SMEs to address hazards that pose threats to consumer health, work to define target markets domestically and internationally, and prioritize actions that will help processors overcome food safety and quality barriers to accessing targeted markets.

Our Areas of Focus

Producer Education: At the producer level, we help producers address physical, chemical and biological hazards by focusing on key produce safety trainings and programs such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Post-Harvest Handling practices.

Processor Education: At the processor level, we focus on establishing solid prerequisite programs such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and a Sanitation Program and then work with processors to develop robust preventive control programs such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

Supply Chain Education: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. For this reason, we work with producers and processors as well as the service providers within their supply chains to mitigate food safety and quality hazards from farmer-to-fork and to promote robust traceability protocols. This supply chain focus helps producers target the U.S. market by achieving the traceability requirements stipulated by the Food Safety Modernization Act's Foreign Supply Verification Program.

Consumer Education: Consumers play an important role in food safety and quality. Not only are they the last stop in the supply chain, but they also have the potential to motivate private sector actors to adopt better practices through their own advocacy. We help communities understand the negative nutritional effects of unsafe foods and how to apply food safety and hygiene practices at home through carefully crafted social behavior change campaigns.

Product Differentiation: We help SMEs leverage their adherence to best practices into competitive market advantage by working with firms to feature food safety and quality in their marketing. We also work with governments and trade associations to adopt Seal of Quality Programs that build consumer trust and loyalty.
  Case Examples

USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Program Food Safety and Quality.
Supports SMEs in Egypt, Lebanon and Bangladesh to achieve stronger food safety and quality through the facilitation of highly-qualified volunteers. Volunteers provide training to individuals and recommendations for improved practices. Compliance gaps are addressed using the Global Markets Programme Toolkit to improve production of safe food and achieve increased market access and trade.

USAID Lebanon Investment In Quality (LINQ).
LINQ increases competitiveness of agribusinesses to access new markets and improve productivity and quality. LINQ partners with processors to address issues and works through processors to reach suppliers as well. Half of the assistance provided by LINQ has been specifically focused on on food safety and quality issues.  

USDA Malawi Strengthening Inclusive Markets for Agriculture (MSIKA) and USAID Sri Lanka BIZ+ Program.
MSIKA works across horticulture value chains to increase productivity and market access in Malawi. The Sri Lanka BIZ+ business acceleration program scaled up 60 SMEs. Land O'Lakes Inc. supported both programs through pro-bono field assignments, conducted by HACCP certified employees trained in Global Markets Programme toolkits. SMEs obtained Malawi Bureau of Standards certification, and Sri Lankan manufacturers obtained internationally-recognized food safety certifications.

USAID Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II (RDCPII).
RDCPII improved dairy quality and production, increased consumer demand for safe products and reformed policy to increase availability of safe dairy products. Over 142 million liters of milk were marketed through Seal of Quality collection centers, and dairy incomes increased on average by 192% per household, proving that quality standards are not only good for consumers' health, they are good for business.