Land O’Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening local agriculture, helping agribusinesses create jobs and linking farmers to markets. Since 1981, it has implemented over 315 integrated dairy, livestock and crops development programs in nearly 80 countries � creating lasting impact by linking farmers, businesses, and the public and private sector in local and global contexts. Land O’Lakes Venture37’s long-standing affiliation with Land O’Lakes, Inc. sets it apart. Land O’Lakes, Inc. is one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. It supports Land O’Lakes Venture37 project implementation with nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights and technologies. This gives Land O’Lakes Venture37 development projects a unique global view of agriculture, food and the power of well-functioning market systems. Land O’Lakes, Inc. supports these efforts as part of its enterprise purpose of Feeding Human Progress at home and around the world.

Program Overview

The Farmer-to-Farmer Inclusive Food Systems (F2F-IFS) program is boosting productivity and profitability of market actors across local food systems in Egypt, Lebanon, and Rwanda by providing targeted, sequenced, and layered volunteer technical assistance. As food systems become more productive and profitable, F2F-IFS is contributing to sustainable, broad-based economic growth within the agricultural sector. F2F-IFS is also facilitating people-to-people exchanges that promote connection and understanding in the global food and agriculture community.

To ensure that food systems are more inclusive and efficient in Egypt, Lebanon, and Rwanda, Land O’Lakes Venture37 is leading a five-year, $7.5 million Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program. Venture37 will complete 181 assignments, which will be specifically designed to make food systems more inclusive and accessible across the three core countries.

Since 1987, Land O’Lakes has sent more than 1,400 U.S. highly qualified volunteers � including 160 of our affiliate Land O’Lakes, Inc. staff and cooperative members � on assignments in 27 countries. As a quality-driven food company, Land O’Lakes, Inc. is uniquely positioned to drive improvements in food safety and quality by offering a broad range of agricultural technical expertise on a voluntary basis, including improved agri-business management, quality assurance, improved policy and regulatory regimes, and production and post-harvest activities. The program is funded through the USAID John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program. F2F initiatives generate rapid, sustained and broad-based economic growth in the agricultural sector. These programs also promote international goodwill, an understanding of U.S. foreign assistance programs, and private involvement in development activities.

Description of Assignment

Problem Statement

The H. GAVIN Company Ltd produces 6 flavors of juice: passion fruit, strawberry, pineapple, mango, apple, and nectar from fresh fruits and flavors. Even though the factory has a lot of clients around the country, the company experiences challenges. Specifically, there is a shortage of fresh fruits on the market to produce juice. The root cause of this shortage is that the best quality of fruits produced locally is exported, the 2nd quality is consumed locally as fresh fruits, and the remaining 3rd quality is sold to the one used in the fruit juice making industry. This means H. Gavin Company Ltd processes a mixed juice of fresh fruit and flavors, which is not popular on the market.

To address the issue, the factory intends to introduce still drinks or still juice to the Rwandan market. Still drinks are leading the market in Rwanda, specifically flavored juice and still juice like Novida, introduced by Coca Cola in Kenya and Uganda, is leading the Rwandan market. Producing flavored juice and still juice made from passion fruits, straw berry, mango, apple will enable H. Gavin company Ltd to compete in the market and penetrate new markets across the country of Rwanda.

Assignment Scope

The assignment will cover the following topics:

•  What are the materials, tools, and equipment for making flavored juice including raw materials, tools and equipment needed for extracting and flavoring fruit juice to have still juice.
•  Check for understanding on materials, tools and equipment used in juice extraction, flavoring and still.
•  Juice extraction/flavors mixing and still techniques and methods including juice extraction techniques, juice flavoring techniques, juice still techniques, methods of juice extraction, methods of juice flavoring, methods of still the juice, check for understanding on extraction/flavoring and still techniques and methods.
•  Practical application for extraction/flavoring and still techniques and methods.
•  Juice extraction/flavoring and still procedures including procedures for juice extraction/flavoring and still, Do’s, and Don’ts in the workplace, ordering activities of juice extraction/flavoring and still.
•  Juice extraction/flavoring with different fruits demonstration.
•  Make a still juice sample.
•  Turn the extracted and flavored juice into still drinks. eUrCbms veHaP
•  Packaging of the still juice.

Host Profile

The idea of creating a fruit processing factory started when the founder of the company had a restaurant in the main taxi park in Nyabugogo, Kigali, a strategic business location for non-alcoholic drinks. The restaurant made its own passion fruit juice to offer to clients. But, whenever there was a power cut, the juice perished. He learnt how to reduce spoilage and to increase the shelf life of the juice using chemical preservatives. This became successful in 2018 when clients were able to buy and bring juices home.

The company has expanded to producing 6 flavors of juice and selling them around Rwanda. The company supplies shops at the four borders of Rwanda: Rusumo Kagitumba, Rubavu, and Kamembe in Rusizi. The company also supplies some supermarkets in Kigali, Musanze in the northern province, Huye in the southern province and Eastern province. It is a well-known brand. To combat the issue of finding high-quality fresh fruit to use in their juices, H. Gavin Company Ltd intends to produce still juice drinks. This kind of juice is always requested by end consumers in Rwanda.

Deliverables

Each volunteer must submit a Final Report to the F2F Program, which includes the following sections:

• •  A summary of tasks and observations from site visits
  •  A list of 3-5 specific and actionable recommendations for the host organization(s). The recommendations are very important to the program as they are used to track host adoption of recommendations and the impact on hosts’ farms and businesses. These recommendations will be reviewed during the debriefing session with country staff at the end of the assignment and the volunteer may make revisions to them in their Final Report.

•  A section listing the assignment objectives above and how they were met or why they were not met.
•  A short summary of the assignment with relevant photos that can be shared on various media platforms.

Outreach

Upon return to the United States, the volunteer is requested to communicate his or her F2F experience to their peers and communities. Outlets to share the volunteer experience include home groups (e.g., civic and religious groups, professional associations, etc.), workplace presentations, local newspapers, community or workplace newsletters, personal blogs and social media sites. It is important to give recognition to USAID for funding the F2F IFS program. At least two outreach events are requested and should be communicated to Elizabeth Laferriere (elaferriere@landolakes.com). Volunteers will be invited to join a volunteer group through LinkedIn and will receive occasional surveys requesting information about completed outreach activities during each period.

Volunteer Qualifications

The recruited volunteer is expected to have the following skills and qualifications:

•  Education background: Have a degree in Food Science, Food Safety or equivalent.
•  Proven previous experience in making still soft drinks.
•  Experience in training on still soft drinks to startup businesses.
•  Able to communicate and provide training to staff.
•  Proven previous experience in adult training methodology.

Land O’Lakes Venture37 is an equal opportunity employer and an organization striving to help global communities thrive through agriculture. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, among other factors. Our culture values a diversity of voices. So bring us your unique experiences, your workstyle, and your dreams � they’ll only make us stronger.