April 30, 2024

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Iowa-based cooperative Landus is a leading ag solutions company with a presence in 34 U.S. states and 16 countries that notes it works to bridge the gap between the farmer and consumer – between the rural and the urban – by focusing on sustainable growth and helping farmers gain added value through partnerships that create downstream opportunities. 

Part of this is accomplished by unleashing the power of data to connect players throughout the entire ag supply chain and to cultivate a more secure future for food and fuel. 

Aligned with this strategy, the cooperative announced the launch of Conduit, a first-of-its-kind company that combines the best elements of a farmer-owned cooperative with those of a technology company. 

“Cooperatives have been offering the same dependable support to farmers for the past 100 years and Landus will continue to honor that tradition. But the next 100 years will look a lot different, and the farmer of tomorrow will need a different set of tools to succeed,” said Matt Carstens, president and CEO, Landus.

“With Conduit, we are focusing on the needs of the farmer of tomorrow using cutting-edge technology to serve them. Conduit offers farmers more accessibility and more options so farmers can operate more efficiently and make more informed decisions.”

Landus explained that the Conduit platform will change the way farmers do business by initially offering low-cost and user-friendly online financing, and ultimately offering tools that support all aspects of agricultural commerce, insurance, and sustainability.

As part of this launch and ongoing transformation, Conduit will offer zero percent financing to qualified borrowers on all in-season input purchases, addressing one of the biggest challenges for farmers today – the battle against rising cost of operating capital. Conduit also will make financing opportunities available in certain states for land, input, and equipment loans. 

Landus itself and its farmer-owners will be the majority investors in this new platform, enabling Conduit to draw on the experience and knowledge of farmers throughout the tech development process, ensuring that it’s the farmers that remain at the center of Conduit’s product line and rollout. 

“Landus is rooted in strong relationships with our farmer-owners and our partners. We keep the farmer at the center of everything we do, and we are committed to continue finding innovative ways to serve them,” said Carstens. 

“Our supply chain and logistics network is ready to reach farmers across the Midwest and we have found the right technical expert to create an integrated interface designed specifically to address farmer’s needs.”

Landus is also bringing on Amol Deshpande, a proven innovator across multiple industries with unmatched experience in shifting traditional systems to modern technology-driven platforms, and who brings the necessary technological expertise and proof of concept as Landus makes this digital evolution. 

“Farmers today are expecting greater speed and agility with products and services,” noted Matt Chambers, farmer and board chairman, Landus.

“They deserve access to financing, to inputs and materials in whatever manner they want, and they need options that are easily available so that they can stay focused on execution. If they want to buy from their local supplier in a traditional way, that’s great. And if they want to explore other products and services, they need to be able to find new partners and learn about new solutions.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and Agtech Intel News. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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