crises around the world. Organizational structure In its founding structure, Lutheran World Relief was originally led by a secretary. In 1953, the organization changed its top leadership position to an executive director. In 1996, LWR transitioned to being led by a President and CEO, the structure that remains in place today. LWR's President and CEO reports to a 15-member board of directors, including representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), the two largest Lutheran church bodies in the United States. LWR is divided into four departments: The President's Office, which oversees strategic leadership of the organization, manages relationships with church bodies and other major stakeholders and acts as a liaison between the organization and its board of directors International Programs Department, which designs and implements international development programs, conducts project monitoring and evaluation and coordinates emergency responses External Relations & Strategic Partnerships, responsible for LWR's marketing and communications, as well as building and maintaining relationships with individual, congregational and institutional donors and funders Finance & Administration, which manages the finances for LWR's domestic operations and international projects Core program areas LWR's projects are structured to address three core program areas: Agriculture LWR's programs in agriculture focus on improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers and their families by through sustainable agricultural practices that build food security and increase rural incomes. Some approaches LWR uses to carry out this work are: Through agricultural value chains: This refers to all the steps involved in producing an agricultural product, from planting to the final product. Farmers involved in many steps of the agriculture value chain have the ability to earn more income from their crops. LWR projects help farmers learn how to take part in various roles in the agriculture value chain. Strengthening farmers' organizations: LWR works with farmer and producer organizations to increase their capacity to deliver services to their farmer-members, such as training, the communal use of equipment, and relationships with credit institutions to help farmers secure seeds, fertilizer, and other tools necessary to plant crops. LWR projects help farmers' and producers' organizations improve their governance, build relationships with credit institutions, and implement support for their farmer-members. Climate-Smart Agriculture: LWR works with farmers to cope with and overcome the effects of changing climate conditions through conservation agriculture, sustainable land management and the improvement of water access, management, and protection. Climate LWR's programs