Grain Breeding Peter Kunz

What Grain Breeding Peter Kunz does

Grain Breeding Peter Kunz (gzpk), founded in 1984 and headquartered in Feldbach, Switzerland, is a nonprofit association (Verein für Kulturpflanzenentwicklung) that develops organic plant varieties for cereals (wheat, spelt, emmer, triticale, durum), grain legumes (peas, lupines, grasspea, lentils), and maize populations. Its technology foundation is classical, non-genetic-engineering plant breeding combined with a participatory approach that integrates farmers directly into variety selection through programs such as Klimafenster and Leguminosennetzwerk. The organization operates breeding gardens in Feldbach, Mönchaltorf, Grüt, and Uster, plus a German subsidiary (gzpk Deutschland gGmbH) at Gut Mönchhof in Meissner.

gzpk's commercial output is seed varieties distributed through partner seed companies — Sativa AG in Switzerland and BioSaat GmbH (a joint venture with Cultivari, Dottenfelderhof, and Keyserlingk-Institut) for European markets — rather than direct-to-consumer sales. Revenue mechanics are donation-led: the organization is recognized as gemeinnützig by the Canton of Zurich, donations are tax-deductible in Switzerland and Germany, and ongoing operations are funded almost exclusively through charitable contributions from private individuals and foundations, supplemented by seed royalties. In parallel, gzpk collaborates with FiBL, Agroscope, ETH Zürich, Universität Lausanne, and Critical Scientists Switzerland on the integraL interdisciplinary grain legume research project (2021-2024), positioning it within the Swiss agroecological research ecosystem.

Customers and beneficiaries span organic and biodynamic farmers in Switzerland and Germany (who receive location-adapted varieties and participate in on-farm trials), artisan food processors and bakers (who specify quality traits such as falling number and protein content), philanthropic donors and foundations (Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, Stiftung Sur-la-Croix, Verein Gen Au Rheinau), and academic and applied research institutions. Following Herbert Völkle's departure at end-2024, gzpk adopted a Co-Geschäftsleitung structure in July 2025 with Monika Baumann and Dr. Leonie Hart.

Name

Grain Breeding Peter Kunz

Legal name

Getreidezüchtung Peter Kunz, Verein für Kulturpflanzenentwicklung

Website

https://gzpk.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grain Breeding Peter Kunz (gzpk) is a Swiss nonprofit founded in 1984 that develops organic, non-GMO plant varieties — cereals, grain legumes, and maize — for organic and biodynamic farmers in Switzerland and Germany using participatory classical breeding methods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Plant Breeding

NAICS

Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111), Dry Pea and Bean Farming (11113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Breeding & Variety Development (Conventional) (AFAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Row Crop Farming (Grains, Oilseeds, Pulses) (AFAGAKAA), Cereal & Grain Seeds (Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye) (AFABAFAB), Vegetable Seeds (Open-Pollinated & Hybrid) (AFABAFAE)

Keywords

• Organic plant breeding
• Cereal variety development
• Grain legume breeding
• Participatory plant breeding
• Organic seed varieties

Headquarters

HQ city

Feldbach

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The ongoing projects of gzpk are almost exclusively financed through charitable means — donations from private individuals and foundations. Donations are tax-deductible in both Switzerland and Germany. The organization is recognized as a nonprofit by the Canton of Zurich and is tax-exempt.
2. Seed Sales and Licensing: Varieties developed by gzpk are distributed through partner seed companies. For example, Winterweizensorte Wital is available in limited quantities from Sativa AG in Rheinau. Seed sales represent a commercial revenue stream that flows back into breeding programs. Additionally, BioSaat GmbH (a separate company co-founded by former gzpk co-CEO Herbert Völkle) handles European marketing of gzpk varieties, with royalties flowing back to gzpk as its own funds.
3. Legacies and Bequests: The organization accepts bequests and legacies in wills, described as a way for supporters to ensure their values live on through gzpk's continued work on crop diversity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

gzpk develops organic plant varieties for cereals (wheat, spelt, emmer, triticale, durum), grain legumes (peas, lupines), and organic maize populations using classical, non-GMO breeding methods. Developed varieties are distributed to organic and biodynamic farmers through partner seed companies (Sativa AG, BioSaat GmbH) in Switzerland and Europe, and the organization conducts participatory on-farm trials and collaborative research projects.

Product overview

Grain Breeding Peter Kunz (gzpk) is a non-profit association developing organic plant varieties through dedicated breeding programs. The organization operates integrated cereal breeding programs (wheat, spelt, emmer, triticale, durum wheat) and legume breeding programs (peas, lupines), as well as an organic maize population. The portfolio centers on the core breeding programs supplemented by seed sales and distribution services through partners like Sativa AG. Public engagement includes breeding garden tours and participation in research projects such as INTEGRAL, Klimafenster, and Leguminosennetzwerk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Cereal Breeding Programs Development of organic plant varieties for cereal crops including wheat, spelt, emmer, triticale, and durum wheat for bread and pasta production, conducted using classical, non-GMO breeding methods at Feldbach (CH) and Gut Mönchhof (DE).
• Organic Grain Legume Breeding Programs Variety development of peas and lupines as nutrient providers for fields and human consumption, including underutilized grain legume crops such as grasspea, lentils, and chickpeas as part of the integraL and Leguminosennetzwerk projects.
• Organic Maize Population Reproducible organic maize population specifically developed for organic farming conditions.
• Winter Wheat Variety Wital Organic winter wheat variety released for autumn sowing 2022, listed on the FiBL recommended variety list; available in limited quantities via Sativa AG.
• Seed Distribution and Licensing Distribution of gzpk-bred organic seed varieties to farmers via partner seed companies (Sativa AG in Switzerland, BioSaat GmbH across Europe), with royalties flowing back to gzpk. Variety information and limited seeds are also available via the gzpk website.
• Breeding Garden Tours and Public Education Events Public guided tours through the breeding gardens in Feldbach (annually in June), field days at Gut Mönchhof in Germany, and educational events/workshops on participatory breeding, plant diversity, and organic variety development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of Swiss spelt cultivation area is planted with only two varieties — highlighting both the need for and opportunity of organic breeding to diversify variety offerings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Keyserlingk-Institut (Salem, Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Biodynamic plant breeding institute on Lake Constance with over 30 years of experience. Part of the Biodynamic Breeding Network with gzpk, Cultivari, and Dottenfelderhof. Exchange visits between organizations. Shares expertise in conservation varieties, grasspea, lentils, and ATI-sensitive wheat.
• Verein für gentechnikfreie LebensmittelminorOthers · 1 January 2024gzpk is a founding member of the association for GMO-free food. Part of a coalition of over 30 organizations (including Bio Suisse, Demeter, FiBL, Sativa) advocating for labeling, risk assessment, coexistence rules, and patent restrictions on new genomic techniques.
• Sativa AG (Rheinau)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2022Swiss seed company distributing gzpk varieties to farmers. Handles Winterweizensorte Wital distribution in limited quantities for autumn sowing 2022. Also a long-standing partner for seed multiplication and processing. Presented gzpk with a fig tree as a birthday gift at the 40th jubilee.
• FiBL (Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Key research partner in the integraL project (Interdisciplinary Research on Grain Legumes). Collaborates on grain legume breeding, participatory trials, and organic farming research. Co-organizes the annual Bio-Körnerleguminosen Feldtag. gzpk, FiBL, and Agroscope jointly organized the 2024 and 2023 legume field days.
• AgroscopecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Swiss Federal Office for Agricultural Research. Collaborates with gzpk on grain legume field trials, variety testing, and organic crop research. Partner in the integraL project. Co-organizes annual Bio-Körnerleguminosen Feldtag events.
• Universität LausannecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Academic partner in the integraL project, contributing research expertise to the interdisciplinary study of grain legumes in Swiss agriculture.
• Critical Scientists Switzerland (CSS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in the integraL project and co-organizer of the Grasspea culinary events and legume promotion activities. Tamara Lebrecht represents CSS in the integraL project, leading the grasspea value chain research.
• semnar (Saatgutpolitik & Wissenschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Research partner in integraL focused on the historical reasons for the decline of grain legume cultivation in Switzerland. Eva Gelinsky leads the historical research component.
• ETH Zürich (Agroecological Transitions Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Academic partner contributing to the integraL project's interdisciplinary research on grain legumes and agroecological transitions in Swiss agriculture.
• Hof Rinderbrunnen (Grüt)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner farm in the Zürcher Oberland and the integraL project. Conducts field trials for grain legumes including chickpeas, lupines, and beans. Stephan Gysi provides experimental farm insights and hosts field days.
• Swiss Plant Breeding Center (SPBC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Independent competence and innovation network supporting Swiss plant breeders (both public and private). gzpk is a founding/organizational member. Monika Baumann serves on the association board. SPBC supports translation of research into applied breeding practice.
• New Roots AG (Oberdiessbach)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-organizer of the Bio LeguminosenTag 2025. Provides plant protein processing facilities for tours and events. Represents the processing side of the grain legume value chain.
• ProSpecieRaraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Swiss foundation for the conservation of agricultural biodiversity. Collaborates on the participatory breeding workshop (October 2024) organized by gzpk, FiBL, and ProSpecieRara. Philipp Holzherr presents participatory projects from ProSpecieRara.
• BioSaat GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Joint venture with biodynamic breeding initiatives (Cultivari, Dottenfelderhof, Keyserlingk-Institut) for European variety marketing. Herbert Völkle (former gzpk Co-CEO) now leads BioSaat full-time as of end 2024. Handles European distribution of gzpk organic varieties and organizes basic seed production at Gut Mönchhof.
• Verein Gen Au RheinaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-organizer of the Klimafenster project (since 2019, including Phase 1 2019-2022 and Phase 2 2023-2024). Jointly develops robust, reproducible organic varieties with farmers through participatory trials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bingenheimer Saatgut AG: German cooperative producing and developing organic seeds across cereals, vegetables, and legumes, with a strong Demeter/biodynamic orientation. Closely comparable mission and product range to gzpk's organic cereal and legume breeding.
• Dottenfelderhof: Demeter-certified biodynamic farm and cereal breeding research operation in Hesse, Germany. Fellow member of the biodynamic breeding network, with directly comparable organic wheat and spelt breeding activity.
• ReinSaat KG: Austrian organic seed breeder and producer covering cereals, legumes, and vegetables for organic farming. Comparable in mission (organic seed) and product mix (cereals + legumes).
• Hild Samen GmbH: German family-owned organic and biodynamic seed breeder with programs in cereals, legumes, and catch crops. Closely comparable organic-bred portfolio and Central European distribution.
• Cultivari Getreidezüchtungsforschung: Biodynamic cereal breeding initiative in southern Germany, part of the same biodynamic breeding network as gzpk (alongside Dottenfelderhof and Keyserlingk-Institut). Directly comparable in classical, non-GMO organic cereal breeding.
• De Bolster Organic Seeds: Dutch organic seed company breeding and producing organic vegetable, herb, and grain seeds for European organic farmers. Comparable organic-only breeding and distribution model in Europe.
• Keyserlingk-Institut: Biodynamic plant breeding institute at Lake Constance focused on conservation varieties, grasspea, lentils, and ATI-sensitive wheat. Direct peer for organic, classical plant breeding and a documented gzpk partner.
• Sativa AG: Swiss organic seed company that multiplies and distributes gzpk-developed varieties (including Wital) and runs its own organic breeding and seed production. Direct comparable in Swiss organic seed/breeding with overlapping crop focus and customer base.

Others

• ProSpecieRara: Swiss foundation conserving agricultural biodiversity and coordinating participatory conservation variety projects. Collaborates with gzpk on participatory breeding and shares the agrobiodiversity/neglected-crop mission, but is a conservation NGO rather than a commercial breeder.

Broad incumbents

• FiBL (Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau): Leading European research institute for organic agriculture based in Switzerland, with a much larger footprint. Direct partner of gzpk on integraL and Klimafenster, with overlapping organic variety research and recommended-list authority.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCssySlKj-L1hCbSCoJFfUzg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/getreidezuechtung/?locale=de_DE
• LinkedInch.linkedin.com/company/gzpk-getreidez%C3%BCchtung-peter-kunz
• Instagraminstagram.com/gzpk_biozuechtung

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Grain Breeding Peter Kunz