Upländer Bauernmolkerei
Upländer Bauernmolkerei is a farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative in Hesse, Germany, processing about 48 million liters of organic milk per year from 105 member farms into milk, yogurt, Weidemilch, and cheese for natural food retailers, bulk buyers, and its own Bioladen store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersUsseln, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Upländer Bauernmolkerei does
Upländer Bauernmolkerei GmbH is a farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative based in Usseln, in the Upland region of Willingen, Hesse, Germany. Founded on April 26, 1996, the company processes approximately 48 million liters of certified organic milk per year, drawn from 105 member farms operating more than 7,000 cows across the region. Its positioning, summarized by the slogan "Konzernfrei, in Bauernhand" (corporation-free, in farmers' hands), emphasizes cooperative ownership, transparent supply chains, and farmer-fair pricing, including a documented 5-cent-per-liter Erzeuger-fair-Milch premium passed back to producers.
The product range spans fluid organic milk, yogurt, pasture-raised Weidemilch, and cheese, packaged in 2022 onward with a refillable glass system alongside conventional formats. The cooperative was an early mover on non-GMO labeling (from 2005) and in 2008 founded the FairBio e.V. industry association to advance fair, organic dairy standards. Certifications held or recently obtained include Bioland, EU Organic (Bio), the "Ohne Gentechnik" non-GMO label, and — as of 2025 — IFS Food v8, which opens the door to stricter industrial and large-retail buyers.
The business model is a hybrid of cooperative wholesale and direct retail: processed dairy is sold through natural food retailers, organic supermarkets, and bulk/industrial buyers (Großverbraucher), complemented by the company's own Bioladen organic grocery store and an on-site dairy museum that anchors tourism-driven footfall. Leadership comprises Managing Directors Andreas Quanz and Stefan Weiler (the latter joining in 2026) and Operations Manager Stefan Börner. The company is privately held by its farmer-members; no public funding, M&A, or financial disclosure is available.
Upländer Bauernmolkerei firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upländer Bauernmolkerei
- Legal name
- Upländer Bauernmolkerei GmbH
- Website
- https://bauernmolkerei.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Upländer Bauernmolkerei is a farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative in Hesse, Germany, processing about 48 million liters of organic milk per year from 105 member farms into milk, yogurt, Weidemilch, and cheese for natural food retailers, bulk buyers, and its own Bioladen store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Upländer Bauernmolkerei industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Organic Dairy Products
- NAICS
- Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Organic & Specialty-Claim Fluid Milk Processing (Organic, A2, Grass-Fed) (AFAHAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organic Dairy & Eggs Wholesale (AFAIAJAC), Pasture-Based & Grazing Dairy Systems (AFAEACAI)
Keywords
Where Upländer Bauernmolkerei is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Usseln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Upländer Bauernmolkerei business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Organic Dairy Product Sales: Sale of bio-organic milk products including yogurt, milk, and cheese through retail stores, natural food stores, supermarkets, and bulk buyers (Großverbraucher).
- Direct Retail Sales: Direct sales of organic dairy products and regional bio-products through their on-site Bioladen in Usseln.
- Cheese & Wine Events: Revenue from cheese and wine evening events held at the Milchmuhseum museum.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Upländer Bauernmolkerei product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Upländer Bauernmolkerei is a farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative headquartered in Usseln, Hesse, Germany, that processes organic cow's milk sourced from 105 regional organic farms (with a herd of more than 7,000 cows) into a range of dairy products. The cooperative's portfolio centers on pasteurized milk, cream, yogurt, curd, butter, and cheese, including specialty pasture-based (Weide) and producer-fair (Erzeuger-fair) milk lines, marketed under the Upländer, Weidemilch, and FairBio brands.
Product overview
Upländer Bauernmolkerei is a farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative founded in 1996, processing organic milk from approximately 105 regional bio farms with 7000+ cows into a product portfolio centered on Bio-Milchprodukte (organic dairy products). The core offerings include organic milk, Weidemilch (pasture milk), and Joghurt im Becher (yogurt), complemented by the Erzeuger-fair Milch fair-trade initiative providing premium pricing to farmers. The company operates an on-site Bioladen (organic store), the Upländer Milchmuhseum (milk museum), and participates in community programs like the Bio-Brotbox school breakfast initiative. With an annual processing capacity of 48 million liters of organic milk, the cooperative emphasizes regional production, animal welfare (including Weidemilch from pasture-raised cows), sustainability (refillable glass packaging since 2022), and fair producer relationships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bio-Milchprodukte (Organic Dairy Range)
- Weidemilch (Pasture Milk)
- Erzeuger-fair Milch (Producer-Fair Milk)
- Bio-Käseplatten / Catering Cheese Boards
- Upländer Bioladen (Company-Owned Organic Store)
- Upländer Milchmuhseum (Milk Museum)
Quantifiable outcome
- 48 million liters of organic milk processed annually from 105 bio farms
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Upländer Bauernmolkerei
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Upländer Bauernmolkerei technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Upländer Bauernmolkerei partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FairBio e.V.coreFairBio e.V. (Bestes Bio – Fair für alle) was founded by Upländer Bauernmolkerei and other bio-food companies in 2008. The association promotes fair and regional organic business practices. The company was a founding member and pays fair prices to farmers through this network.
- BiolandcoreBioland is the leading organic farming association in Germany. Upländer Bauernmolkerei and its supplying farms are Bioland certified. The certification ensures adherence to strict organic farming standards including circular economy, no synthetic pesticides, and animal welfare.
- Milcherzeugergemeinschaft Hessen (MEG)coreRegional dairy farmer collective supplying milk to the cooperative. The MEG (Milk Producer Community Hesse) comprises the 105 bio farms that supply Upländer Bauernmolkerei.
- Klimaneutrales Waldeck-FrankenbergminorRegional initiative working towards climate neutrality for Waldeck-Frankenberg district by 2035. Upländer Bauernmolkerei is a member supporting regional sustainability goals.
- Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e.V. (VLOG)minorAssociation for GMO-free food production. Upländer Bauernmolkerei was the first German dairy to label products as 'ohne Gentechnik' (without genetic engineering) in 2005.
- Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft (BNW)minorFederal Association for Sustainable Economy. BNW advocates for policy frameworks that reward environmentally and socially responsible business practices.
- Slow Food Deutschland e.V.minorInternational movement for healthy food and sustainable agriculture. Over 12,000 members in Germany in around 80 local groups.
- Du bist hier der Chef e.V.minorConsumer initiative. Upländer Bauernmolkerei became the first partner of this consumer initiative in 2020, promoting consumer rights and transparency.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Upländer Bauernmolkerei competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Schwarzwaldmilch: Regional German dairy cooperative with farmer-owned structure and regionally-branded milk and dairy products — directly comparable in cooperative ownership and regional-premium positioning.
- Andechser Molkerei Scheitz: Bavarian farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative with comparable cooperative ownership, organic positioning, regional brand identity, and direct farm-to-processor supply model — a direct structural and product analogue to Upländer Bauernmolkerei.
- Molkerei Ammerland: German dairy cooperative producing milk, butter, cheese, and dairy ingredients with regional farmer ownership — structurally comparable cooperative model and dairy product portfolio.
- Molkerei Söbbeke: German organic dairy brand specializing in organic milk, yogurt, and cheese distributed through organic retail channels — comparable in organic-first positioning, yogurt-led product mix, and natural food store distribution model.
- Gläserne Molkerei: German dairy processor built on transparency, regional sourcing, and organic positioning with direct farmer relationships — comparable to Upländer's regional organic farmer-owned identity and product range.
- Molkerei Berchtesgadener Land: Bavarian farmer cooperative dairy with regional brand identity, farm-direct supply, and organic/specialty milk products — highly comparable in cooperative ownership, regional premium positioning, and product mix including fluid milk and cheese.
Broad incumbents
- DMK Group: Germany's largest dairy cooperative with national scale across conventional and organic dairy — operates in the same space and includes organic brands (e.g., Milram) that compete for organic retail shelf space.
- Arla Foods: International dairy cooperative with significant German operations and organic dairy brands — a broad incumbent competing for organic retail distribution and shelf across the same product categories.
- Hochland: Large German dairy company specializing in cheese and processed dairy products — operates in the same dairy processing category but at much greater scale and breadth, representing an incumbent competitor.
Others
- Bioland: Germany's leading organic farming association — Upländer Bauernmolkerei is Bioland-certified, making Bioland an enabling ecosystem partner and the certification body that anchors the company's organic standards and supply chain governance.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Upländer Bauernmolkerei social profiles
Digital presenceUpländer Bauernmolkerei compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Upländer Bauernmolkerei financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upländer Bauernmolkerei leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Upländer Bauernmolkerei subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Upländer Bauernmolkerei funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upländer Bauernmolkerei M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Upländer Bauernmolkerei
What does Upländer Bauernmolkerei do?
Upländer Bauernmolkerei is a farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative headquartered in Usseln, Hesse, Germany, that processes organic cow's milk sourced from 105 regional organic farms (with a herd of more than 7,000 cows) into a range of dairy products. The cooperative's portfolio centers on pasteurized milk, cream, yogurt, curd, butter, and cheese, including specialty pasture-based (Weide) and producer-fair (Erzeuger-fair) milk lines, marketed under the Upländer, Weidemilch, and FairBio brands.
Is Upländer Bauernmolkerei a public or private company?
Upländer Bauernmolkerei is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Upländer Bauernmolkerei founded?
Upländer Bauernmolkerei was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Upländer Bauernmolkerei based?
Upländer Bauernmolkerei is headquartered in Usseln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Upländer Bauernmolkerei make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Organic Dairy Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are direct Retail Sales and cheese & Wine Events.
Who are Upländer Bauernmolkerei's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Schwarzwaldmilch, Andechser Molkerei Scheitz, Molkerei Ammerland, Molkerei Söbbeke, Gläserne Molkerei and Molkerei Berchtesgadener Land. Broad incumbents are DMK Group, Arla Foods and Hochland. Bioland is listed as an others.
Does Upländer Bauernmolkerei have an API?
No public API is recorded for Upländer Bauernmolkerei.
What industry is Upländer Bauernmolkerei in?
Upländer Bauernmolkerei's product category is Organic Dairy Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHAAAH, Organic & Specialty-Claim Fluid Milk Processing (Organic, A2, Grass-Fed), with a secondary code of AFAIAJAC, Organic Dairy & Eggs Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 3115 and its SIC code is 2020.