Die Faire Milch

What Die Faire Milch does

Die Faire Milch is a German fair-trade dairy brand founded in 2010 and operated as a farmer-owned cooperative. The brand is structured around two entities: DFM Vermarktungs GmbH (a private limited company headquartered in Reichshof that handles marketing and distribution) and Fair Food eG (a cooperative with offices in Freising and Wittenburg that sets production criteria, manages farmer membership, and determines pricing). The cooperative currently comprises 20+ family farms across multiple German states including Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Schleswig-Holstein. Farmers must be BDM (Bundesverband Deutscher Milchviehhalter) members and hold a financial stake of EUR 500-5,000 in the cooperative.

The product portfolio centers on dairy: fresh organic pasture milk (3.8% fat, Bioland-certified, refrigerated), long-life ultra-pasteurized milk (3.8% and 1.8% fat variants, plus lactose-free 1.8%), three cheese varieties (Butterkäse, Emmentaler, Bergkäse produced in partnership with a Bavarian dairy), and cream liqueurs (vanilla and cocoa, 15% ABV). All products adhere to strict criteria: GMO-free feed (VLOG-certified), no overseas feed imports, area-bound livestock farming capped at 2.5 livestock units per hectare, and mandatory environmental or animal welfare projects. Individual farms carry certifications including Bioland, Demeter, Naturland, Biokreis, and Tierschutzlabel.

Revenue is generated through unit-priced retail sales across German supermarkets, farm-direct channels (farm shops, Regiomat automated 24/7 stores, mobile farm stores), and regional delivery services. Farmers are paid 45 cents per kilogram of milk, calculated based on full production costs and recalculated regularly. The target customer base comprises health and environmentally conscious consumers willing to pay premium prices for transparently sourced, ethically produced dairy, and regional agriculture supporters seeking to sustain small family farms. Distribution is currently multi-state with nationwide rollout planned; packaging takes place in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Name

Die Faire Milch

Legal name

DFM Vermarktungs GmbH

Website

https://diefairemilch.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Dairy Products

NAICS

Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Dairy Cattle Farming (AFAEACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Dairy Cattle Production (AFAEAMAB), Butter & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Sour Cream, Kefir) Wholesale (AFAIAEAB), Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK), Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

Keywords

• Organic dairy products
• Fair trade milk
• Fresh pasture milk
• Farm cheese varieties
• Cooperative dairy brand

Headquarters

HQ city

Freising

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Bio-Weidemilch (Fresh Bio Pasture Milk): Fresh organic pasture milk sold through retail channels in 3.8% fat variant, Bioland-certified, DE-ÖKO-006 certified, requiring refrigeration at 4-8°C
2. Long-life Milk (Haltbare Milch): Ultra-pasteurized milk in 3.8% and 1.8% fat variants, GMO-free fed, shelf-stable without refrigeration until opened. Also available in lactose-free 1.8% variant.
3. Cheese Products: Cheese varieties including mild Butterkäse (48% fat), savory Emmentaler (48% fat, naturally lactose-free), and spicy Bergkäse (45% fat). Produced in cooperation with Bavarian dairy.
4. Liqueurs: Vanilla cream liqueur (15% ABV, 500ml) and cocoa cream liqueur, sourced from non-GFSI-certified supplier.
5. Direct Farm Sales: Individual farms sell products directly through farm shops, Regiomat (automated 24/7 stores), mobile farm stores, and regional delivery services. Products include milk, cheese, eggs, meat, sausages, honey, applesauce, bread, and homemade pasta.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Die Faire Milch is a farmer-owned German dairy brand that produces and markets organic fresh and long-life milk (in 3.8% and 1.8% fat variants, including lactose-free), cheese varieties (Butterkäse, Bergkäse, Emmentaler), and cream liqueurs (vanilla, cocoa). Products are sourced exclusively from member family farms organized under the Fair Food eG cooperative, with each farm publicly identified on the brand's website and milk priced at 45 cents/kg to cover full farmer production costs.

Product overview

Die Faire Milch is a brand owned by German dairy farmers representing a cooperative of family farms. The product portfolio centers on dairy products: fresh organic pasture milk, long-lasting milk in two fat variants (3.8% and 1.8%), lactose-free milk, and cheese varieties including mild butter cheese, spicy mountain cheese, and hearty Emmental. Additionally, the cooperative offers cream liqueurs in vanilla and cocoa flavors. All products adhere to strict criteria including genetically unmodified feed, no feed from overseas, area-bound livestock farming, and animal welfare or environmental protection projects. The milk is filled in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, with cheese produced in collaboration with a Bavarian creamery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fair Food eG: The cooperative entity governing Die Faire Milch, owned by participating dairy farmer families, responsible for setting production criteria and fair pricing.

Products and services

• Frische Bio-Weidemilch 3,8% Fett

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 cents per kg milk price for farmers, based on full production costs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bundesverband Deutscher Milchviehhalter e.V. (BDM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BDM is the federal association of German dairy farmers. All Die Faire Milch participating farms must be members of BDM e.V. The organization advocates for the interests of dairy farmers and supports fair milk pricing. Hans Ott serves on the BDM advisory board, Peter Habbena chairs BDM Lower Saxony, Manfred Gilch chairs BDM Bavaria, and Helmut and Bärbel Büchsenschütz are active BDM members.
• Fair Food eG (Genossenschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fair Food eG cooperative is the organizational backbone of Die Faire Milch. The cooperative consists of farmers and consumers, decides which products to produce and at what criteria, sets fair prices for member farms, manages membership (requiring 500-5000 EUR financial stake), and handles marketing and communication with trade and consumers. Vorstand: Werner Reinl, Oliver Koch, Ralf Ehret.
• Bavarian Dairy (Cheese Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCheese production partnership with a Bavarian dairy for Butterkäse, Emmentaler, and Bergkäse varieties. The cheese is produced according to Die Faire Milch's strict GMO-free criteria.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arla Foods Deutschland: German arm of large European dairy cooperative with broad conventional and organic portfolio. Competes on retail shelf but operates at vastly larger scale across many categories.
• Müller (Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller): Large German dairy group with strong private-label and branded milk presence across German retail. Competes on shelf but with substantially larger scale, brand portfolio, and marketing investment.
• DMK Deutsches Milchkontor: Largest German dairy cooperative covering conventional and organic milk, cheese, and ingredients. Overlaps with Die Faire Milch on retail dairy shelf but spans a much broader product and customer portfolio.
• FrieslandCampina Deutschland: German subsidiary of Dutch dairy cooperative, active in fluid milk, dairy beverages, and cheese retail. Broad incumbent competing for the same retail shelf space with broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Alnatura: German organic retailer and brand operator with own dairy private label and partner brands. Comparable on organic and sustainability positioning, partially overlapping on retail dairy shelf in organic-focused channels.

Direct peers

• Andechser Molkerei Scheitz: Bavarian organic dairy cooperative with Naturgut fair milk line, comparable in organic + fair-trade positioning, regional German retail presence, and farmer-owned cooperative structure.
• Upländer Bauernmolkerei: German farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative with a member-farmer governance model and organic certifications. Direct competitor in the German premium-organic, farmer-owned milk category.
• Weihenstephan: Historic German dairy brand with broad fluid milk and dairy portfolio in retail. Comparable as a German retail dairy competitor, though operated as a corporate brand rather than farmer cooperative.
• Berchtesgadener Land: German regional dairy cooperative with strong organic and pasture-based product line sold through German retail. Comparable in farmer cooperative ownership and organic/sustainability positioning, though larger scale.
• Gläserne Molkerei: German dairy cooperative selling organic, transparently sourced milk and dairy from member family farms. Closely comparable to Die Faire Milch in cooperative ownership, farm-level transparency, organic positioning, and German retail focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@unserefairemilch
• Facebookfacebook.com/fairemilch
• Instagraminstagram.com/diefairemilch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dfm-vermarktungs-gmbh

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Die Faire Milch