Land O’Lakes Inc. and Microsoft today announced a multiyear strategic alliance, marking a new chapter in their shared commitment to agricultural innovation. Building on five years of successful collaboration, the alliance will focus on co-developing AI-powered tools including a digital assistant called “Oz.” This assistant is built on models within Azure AI Foundry and uses Land O’Lakes agricultural data to help farmers make informed decisions that aim to optimize operations, maximize yield potentials and mitigate risk.
U.S. farms are vital to the nation’s food supply but rising production costs, falling crop prices, and declining farmable land are squeezing margins across operations of all sizes. Technologies that improve efficiency and resiliency can help farmers manage costs and stabilize their operations, safeguarding the future of agriculture.
“Land O’Lakes has supported American agriculture for more than 100 years, and the AI-powered technologies we’re building with Microsoft will be key to the next 100,” said Teddy Bekele, SVP and Chief Technology Officer, Land O’Lakes. “The goal of our alliance is to deliver data-driven recommendations and solutions that lead to the best outcomes for farmers, who keep food on all of our tables.”
“The agriculture industry continues to face unprecedented pressure—from rising costs to shrinking margins—and AI innovation plays an important role in addressing these challenges,” said Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business. “By combining Land O’Lakes’ century of expertise with Microsoft’s cloud and AI capabilities, we are delivering a copilot solution that empowers farmers with actionable insights that help control costs, boost crop yields, and drive long-term success.”