International Farm Comparison Network

What International Farm Comparison Network does

International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN), legally IFCN GmbH, is a privately-held German dairy research network headquartered in Kiel, founded in 2000 by Dr. T. Hemme. The organization maintains what it describes as the only globally comparable dairy economic dataset, spanning 26+ years of standardized methodology across approximately 200 countries. It connects a network of over 130 dairy-industry companies (including processors, equipment manufacturers, animal health firms and farm input suppliers) and dairy researchers in 100+ countries, operating on a community-led, partnership-driven go-to-market model anchored by annual flagship events and recurring data subscriptions.

IFCN's core technology is a dairy data platform that delivers standardized milk price analysis (including the proprietary IFCN World Milk Price Indicator, a weighted index across SMP/butter, cheese/whey and WMP reflecting global trade shares), farm-level cost-of-production and profitability comparisons, dairy value chain and policy analysis, sustainability assessment tools covering greenhouse gas emissions by farm type, and short- and long-term market outlooks. Flagship commercial products include the annual 224-page IFCN Dairy Report, the IFCN Dairy Processor Report, subscription access to the IFCN Dairy Data Platform and Partner Portal, plus the World Dairy Map and Global Dairy Tech Mapping (which tracked 251 companies in 2025). Distribution combines self-serve platform access with direct enterprise sales of consultancy and custom research projects.

IFCN generates revenue through five streams: recurring Company Partnership (Supporter) subscriptions from 130+ dairy enterprises; recurring Researcher Partnership fees from academics and institutions in 100+ countries; event revenue from the annual IFCN Dairy Conference, Supporter Conference and the jointly organized Dairy Outlook Workshop with Eucolait (priced EUR 550–1,300 per seat); sales of the IFCN Dairy Report and IFCN Dairy Processor Report publications; and custom consultancy/research projects. Its customer base spans multinational dairy processors (FrieslandCampina, Arla, Nestlé, DMK, Fonterra, Unilever), agricultural machinery and equipment makers (GEA, DeLaval, Lely, CLAAS, KRONE), animal health and nutrition companies (MSD Animal Health, Alltech, Elanco), and agricultural conglomerates (Cargill), supported by institutional alliances with FAO, IDF, the European Commission's DG AGRI, Eucolait, Progressive Dairy and regional dairy associations.

Name

International Farm Comparison Network

Legal name

IFCN GmbH

Website

https://ifcndairy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IFCN is a Kiel-based global dairy research network providing comparable dairy economic data, milk price analysis, farm economics benchmarking, and market outlooks across approximately 200 countries to over 130 dairy companies and 100+ country research partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Market Intelligence & Benchmarking

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy Farm Data, Monitoring & Precision Dairy Operations (AFAEACAO)

Keywords

• Dairy market research
• Milk price analysis
• Farm economics data
• Dairy chain intelligence
• Agricultural benchmarking

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Company Partnerships (Supporters): Over 130 dairy-related companies pay for membership to access globally comparable dairy data, market analysis, forecasts, and exclusive industry insights for strategic planning purposes.
2. Researcher Partnerships: Research partners in over 100 countries contribute to and access the IFCN network, receiving updated global milk and feed price trends and IFCN publications.
3. Events and Conferences: Revenue from annual IFCN Dairy Conference, Dairy Outlook Workshop (joint with Eucolait), and Supporter Conference. Pricing varies: Partner seats 550-1300 EUR, Non-Partner seats 1100 EUR.
4. Data Reports and Publications: IFCN Dairy Report (224-page comprehensive overview), IFCN Dairy Processor Report, and specialized reports sold or provided to members.
5. Custom Consultancy and Research Projects: Custom-made consultancy and research projects ranging from full-day workshops to short- or long-term projects for capacity building and strategic planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IFCN is a global dairy research network that collects, standardizes, and publishes comparable economic data on dairy farms, processors, and the wider dairy value chain across more than 100 countries. It sells subscriptions to its data platforms, annual reports, and provides consulting, models, and an annual world milk price indicator to dairy processors, cooperatives, technology suppliers, researchers, and policy bodies.

Product overview

IFCN is a global dairy research and consultancy network providing data, knowledge, and inspiration to help people in the dairy world make better decisions. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected products: the IFCN Dairy Report (224-page annual book) and IFCN Dairy Processor Report as flagship publications; IFCN Dairy Data subscription service covering national/global milk analysis, prices, and 200-country outlooks; IFCN Farm Analysis for farm-level economics and sustainability; the IFCN Dairy Data Platform and Partners Portal as access channels; IFCN World Milk Price Indicator and World Dairy Map as reference tools; Global Dairy Tech Briefing for technology insights; plus conferences, workshops, and custom consulting services. The core value proposition is globally comparable dairy economic data and analysis for strategic decision-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IFCN Dairy Report: Annual comprehensive 224-page book providing global dairy market analysis, national and regional data, and milk production comparisons across countries.
• IFCN Dairy Processor Report
• IFCN World Dairy Map
• IFCN Dairy Data Platform
• IFCN Global Dairy Tech Mapping

Products and services

• IFCN Dairy Report

Quantifiable outcome

• Global milk production analysis covering over 1 billion tonnes annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EucolaitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with Eucolait (European Dairy Trade Association) to host the annual Dairy Outlook Workshop. Both organizations collaborate on market analysis, outlook presentations, and industry events focused on European dairy markets.
• Progressive DairycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Progressive Dairy to host the annual Global Dairy Tech Mapping event. Joint effort to enhance visibility of ag-tech firms and provide comprehensive overview of dairy technology sector.
• FAOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) is an institutional partner of IFCN. Organizations have collaborated on publications including World mapping of animal feeding systems in the dairy sector and dairy development impact analysis.
• IDF (International Dairy Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with IDF on joint publications including World mapping of animal feeding systems in the dairy sector, combining expertise in dairy sector analysis.
• CAU Kiel (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution located in Kiel, Germany. IFCN is based at the university's location and maintains institutional relationship.
• Thuenen InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman research institution (Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut) partnering with IFCN as an institutional partner.
• DairyNZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand dairy industry organization partnering with IFCN as an institutional partner.
• GDP (Global Dairy Platform)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with GDP on dairy development impact on poverty reduction studies and joint publications.
• CNIEL (Centre National Interprofessionnel de l'Economie Laitière)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench dairy industry organization as institutional partner of IFCN network.
• ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute partnering with IFCN as institutional partner for dairy sector research in developing regions.
• Dairy AsiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional dairy platform as institutional partner supporting dairy development in Asian markets.
• FEPALEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan-American dairy federation as institutional partner supporting dairy research in Latin American region.
• HoogwegtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch dairy trading and analysis company providing market expertise and presentations at IFCN events.
• European Commission DG AGRIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of European Commission collaborates with IFCN on dairy market outlook and policy analysis through events and joint presentations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research: Rabobank's FAR research division publishes widely-cited global dairy sector reports, commodity outlooks, and farm economics analysis — directly comparable to IFCN's dairy research, price outlooks, and farm comparison subscription services for the same enterprise audience.
• Gira Food & Beverage Consultancy: Gira is an independent food and beverage consultancy producing market studies and outlook reports covering dairy value chains, processors, and retail — directly comparable to IFCN's Dairy Report, Dairy Processor Report and consultancy services.

Broad incumbents

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): The UN FAO produces global dairy statistics, outlooks, and policy analysis through FAOSTAT and OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook — covering the same global dairy data domain as IFCN but on a broader agricultural mandate and as a public-sector publisher.
• USDA Economic Research Service (Dairy): USDA ERS publishes authoritative U.S. and international dairy sector analyses, milk price reports, and farm economics — overlapping with IFCN's national-level dairy data and outlook products, though focused on U.S. policy needs.

Regional players

• AHDB (Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board): AHDB is the UK statutory levy board funding dairy market intelligence, farm benchmarking and price reporting — comparable to IFCN's dairy data services but restricted to UK/EU producers and processors.

Emerging players

• HighGround Dairy: HighGround Dairy produces futures-market dairy commodity research and analysis — overlapping with IFCN's World Milk Price Indicator and dairy commodity outlook offerings but focused primarily on CME-traded products.
• Hoogwegt Group: Hoogwegt is a major dairy commodity trader with in-house market research and a partnership history with IFCN events — partially overlapping with IFCN's commodity and price analysis capabilities from a trader's perspective.

Others

• International Dairy Federation (IDF): IDF is the global dairy industry association publishing standards, statistics, and joint research (including joint publications with IFCN on animal feeding systems) — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ifcndairyresearchnetwork5075
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifcn
• Xx.com/dairyifcn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Farm Comparison Network