Royal Norwegian Society for Development

[1][2] The society operates projects in Norway, the Balkans, Latin America, and southern and eastern Africa.

Its focus areas are: The society confers the Medal for Long and Faithful Service (Medaljen for lang og tro tjeneste)[5][6] and the Norwegian Development Entrepreneurship Award (Norges Vels Gründerpris).

[11] The Norwegian Society for Development was created on December 29, 1809, following initiatives by Bishop Frederik Julius Bech, Jacob Rosted, the assessor Peter Collett, Ludvig Stoud Platou, Martin Richard Flor, and Count Herman Wedel Jarlsberg.

Count Wedel Jarlsberg soon saw the political potential of the society, and he made it a union for Norwegian interests in the entire state of Denmark–Norway.

It engaged cattle breeders from Switzerland to teach animal husbandry and dairy farming (hence the expression sveiser 'livestock farmer' < sveitser 'Swiss person').