Lehmann Nature
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersMeerbusch, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
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.
Lehmann Nature firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Lehmann Nature industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Lehmann Nature is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Meerbusch
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Lehmann Nature business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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
Lehmann Nature product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Lehmann Nature
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lehmann Nature technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Lehmann Nature partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bivano (Böhmer Gruppe)coreBivano, 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)minorIPD 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 ConsortiumcoreEU 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 AssociationcoreDemeter 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.
- KauflandminorRetail partner for LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten open-pollinated seed products available in selected stores since March 2021.
- dm-drogerie marktminorRetail partner for LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten open-pollinated seed products available in selected stores since March 2021.
- Soil & More ImpactsminorPartnership 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.coreLong-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
Lehmann Nature competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging 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
Lehmann Nature social profiles
Digital presenceLehmann Nature financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lehmann Nature leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Lehmann Nature subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Lehmann Nature funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lehmann Nature 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 Lehmann Nature
What does Lehmann Nature do?
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.
Is Lehmann Nature a public or private company?
Lehmann Nature is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Lehmann Nature founded?
Lehmann Nature was founded in 1988. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Lehmann Nature based?
Lehmann Nature is headquartered in Meerbusch, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Lehmann Nature make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Import and Sale of Organic Produce is the primary driver. The others are LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten Seeds.
Who are Lehmann Nature's main competitors?
Rapunzel Naturkost GmbH is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Greenyard NV and Dole plc. Eurogroup / IFG (Interfrutta) — Eurostar is listed as an others. Direct peers are Weiling GmbH, Eosta B.V., Bodan Großhandel für Naturprodukte GmbH, Dennree GmbH and Organicfruitbox / BioTropic GmbH. ProNatura SAS is listed as a regional player.
Does Lehmann Nature have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lehmann Nature.
What industry is Lehmann Nature in?
Lehmann Nature's product category is Organic Produce Wholesale. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAAAK, Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution, with a secondary code of CRAOABAH, Natural & Organic Foods Distribution. Its NAICS code is 42448 and its SIC code is 5140.