Lehmann Nature

What Lehmann Nature does

Lehmann Natur GmbH is a German wholesaler and producer of organic fruits, vegetables, and agricultural inputs, founded in 1988 in Meerbusch and operating since January 2021 as a subsidiary of Bivano (Böhmer Gruppe). The company imports and distributes organic produce certified under Bio, Demeter, Naturland, and Permakultur standards, supplying bio specialty wholesalers, supermarkets (notably EDEKA and Kaufland), discounters, and to a smaller extent end consumers via its own online shop. It runs a dedicated Bio packing station in Korschenbroich, owns organic farms (fincas) in Andalusia, Spain, and citrus plantations in Sicily, Italy, and operates what it describes as Europe's largest bio lime distribution operation through a long-term partnership with Orange Export in Colombia spanning 60+ smallholder farms. The business generates revenue primarily through transactional B2B produce sales, supplemented by retail and direct-to-consumer sales of its LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten open-source organic seed sub-brand (launched 2021) via Kaufland, dm, and its own e-commerce shop. Operational scope spans roughly ten countries across Europe, North/West Africa, the Middle East, and South America, with Friedrich Lehmann remaining as managing director post-acquisition and management including an Einkaufsleiter, purchasing leads covering Spain/Africa, Turkey greenhouse operations, and an explicit Transport & Logistics function that piloted a rail-cooled supply chain from Almería to Korschenbroich. Go-to-market combines sales-led B2B relationships, event-driven presence at FRUITLOGISTICA and BIOFACH, organic social (LinkedIn, YouTube), and consumer education initiatives including the Demeter Genuss-Tour food truck.

Name

Lehmann Nature

Legal name

Lehmann Natur Gesellschaft zur Erzeugung und zum Vertrieb ökologischer Produkte mbH

Website

https://lehmann-natur.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lehmann Natur is a German organic produce wholesaler and producer that imports and distributes Bio, Demeter, Naturland, and Permakultur-certified fruits and vegetables, plus its own organic seed brand, to bio-traders, supermarkets, and discounters across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Produce Wholesale

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural & Organic Foods Distribution (CRAOABAH), Fresh Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIAJAA)

Keywords

• Organic produce wholesale
• Biodynamic farming supply
• Permaculture agriculture
• Organic seed distribution
• Fresh fruit import

Headquarters

HQ city

Meerbusch

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Import and Sale of Organic Produce: Lehmann natur generates revenue by importing and selling organic fruits and vegetables in Bio, Demeter, Naturland, and Permakultur quality. The company sources from bio farmers worldwide and operates its own production facilities in Spain, with products distributed to bio traders, supermarkets, and discounters.
2. LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten Seeds: The company sells open-pollinated, mostly Demeter-certified organic seed products through its own online shop and via retail partners Kaufland and dm.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lehmann Natur imports, produces, and distributes organic fruits and vegetables certified under Bio, Demeter, Naturland, and Permakultur standards. The company operates its own Bio packing station in Korschenbroich, owns permaculture farms in southern Spain, produces organic citrus in Sicily, and partners with bio farmers worldwide. It also markets the LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten sub-brand of open-pollinated organic seeds to retail and consumer channels.

Product overview

Lehmann Nature is a importer and producer of organic fruits and vegetables offering Bio, Demeter, Naturland, and Permaculture quality products. The core product portfolio includes fresh produce (citrus fruits, avocados, apples, bananas, berries, root vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms, grapes, leafy greens, melons) sourced globally through partnerships with organic farmers worldwide and from the company's own farms in Spain and Italy. The company operates its own Bio pack station in Korschenbroich and runs its own organic farms in southern Spain using permaculture methods. Complementing the fresh produce is the LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten seed brand (launched 2021), offering open-source, reproducible organic seed varieties. A direct-to-consumer online shop enables purchase of seed products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten: Open-source / seed-stable organic seed brand launched in 2021, offering organic and largely Demeter-certified vegetable, herb, flower, and salad seed varieties for home gardeners and professional growers. Distributed at Kaufland, dm, and via lehmann natur's own online shop at www.lehmann-natur.com/lehmanns-biosaaten/.
• lehmann natur

Products and services

• Bio Fresh Produce (Fruits & Vegetables) Core offering of organic fruits and vegetables in Bio, Demeter, Naturland, and Permaculture quality, sourced from organic farmers worldwide and from the company's own farms in Spain and Italy, sold to bio traders, supermarkets, and discounters. The assortment spans citrus fruits, avocados, apples, bananas, berries, root vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms, grapes, leafy greens, and melons.
• LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten Seeds Open-source, reproducible organic seed varieties, mostly in Demeter quality, covering vegetables, herbs, flowers, and salads for home gardeners and hobby farmers. Distributed via the lehmann natur online shop and retail partners Kaufland and dm.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% CO2 emission reduction by shifting transport from road to rail (cooling train)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bivano (Böhmer Gruppe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Bivano, part of Böhmer Gruppe, acquired lehmann natur in January 2022. Both companies co-exhibit at trade shows and collaborate on topics like water protection and food waste reduction.
• Import Promotion Desk (IPD)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024IPD organized an exploration tour to Kenya where lehmann natur's buyer Sebastian Zeh visited avocado producers to assess cultivation, storage, and logistics of green gold.
• BREADCRUMB Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EU project partner working to reduce food waste. Five case studies completed on lima, lemon, tomato, pepper, and cucumber products measuring loss from field to retail based on food marketing standards.
• Demeter AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Demeter is the oldest organic association in Germany with strictest standards for biodynamic and sustainable farming. Lehmann natur promotes biodynamic cultivation among its producers and is a member of Demeter.
• KauflandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Retail partner for LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten open-pollinated seed products available in selected stores since March 2021.
• dm-drogerie marktminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Retail partner for LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten open-pollinated seed products available in selected stores since March 2021.
• Soil & More ImpactsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership for climate-neutral fruit and vegetable project. CO2 emissions in the value chain are compensated through measures such as composting and undersowing.
• Orange Export S.A.S.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Long-term partnership with Colombian small farmer cooperative for Bio, Demeter, and Fairtrade limes. Started with 5 small farmers in 2016, grown to over 60 farms within six years. Plans to double production by 2027. Company operates the most advanced sustainable bio packing facility in South America (opened April 2022).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Rapunzel Naturkost GmbH: German organic brand and processor with farmer-network and Demeter/Bioland sourcing philosophy — adjacent comparable on organic farmer partnerships, certification depth, and consumer brand extension into seeds/grains.

Broad incumbents

• Greenyard NV: Belgian-listed global fresh, frozen, and prepared produce supplier serving European retailers — broad incumbent with organic sub-line that competes with Lehmann on supermarket produce contracts but operates across conventional and organic.
• Dole plc: Global fresh-produce major (post Total Produce/Dole merger) with European banana, citrus, and organic programs that overlap Lehmann's supermarket supply into EDEKA, Kaufland and adjacent discounters across multiple sourcing origins.

Others

• Eurogroup / IFG (Interfrutta) — Eurostar: European fresh-produce supply-chain group aggregating sourcing across Mediterranean, South American, and African origins for retailers — relevant adjacent reference point for the same multi-origin logistics and retail-service model.

Direct peers

• Weiling GmbH: Family-owned German organic wholesaler serving Bio-Supermärkte and natural food retailers across North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond, directly comparable to Lehmann on assortment, organic-only certification, and regional B2B coverage.
• Eosta B.V. Dutch specialist in organic and fair-trade fresh produce distribution across Europe with Nature & More branding — closest European comparison point for an organic-only fresh-produce importer with proprietary sustainability narrative.
• Bodan Großhandel für Naturprodukte GmbH: Lake Constance-region organic wholesaler distributing Demeter, Naturland, and Bioland produce to Biohändler and reformhäuser — same customer types, same premium organic certification stack, and similar farm-to-retailer model as Lehmann.
• Dennree GmbH: Largest German organic food wholesaler, supplying organic retailers and specialized bio stores with produce and dry goods — the same Biohändler and supermarket segments Lehmann serves, with overlapping producer relationships and certification footprints.
• Organicfruitbox / BioTropic GmbH: German organic tropical and conventional produce importer sourcing from farmer cooperatives in Latin America, Africa, and Asia — directly comparable to Lehmann on multi-origin Bio/Demeter sourcing for European retail customers.

Regional players

• ProNatura SAS: French organic fruit-and-vegetable specialist working with small-holder organic farmers and supplying European retailers — comparable origin-to-retailer model, but primarily France/Francophone Europe versus Lehmann's DACH focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSXRlH_uIXPcVru1hVl0Eiw/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lehmannnatur
• Facebookfacebook.com/lehmanns.biosaaten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Lehmann Nature