LfL

What LfL does

LfL (Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft) is the official Bavarian state research center for agriculture, operating as a public-sector knowledge and service institution under the Bavarian State Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism (StMELF). The organization conducts applied research across nine specialized institutes covering agricultural ecology, crop production, plant protection, animal breeding, animal husbandry, fisheries, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, and food economy. Its core technology base consists of applied agricultural research methods, field-trial infrastructure, and longitudinal regional datasets — notably its AgrarMeteorologie Bayern weather service and the LfL Deckungsbeiträge economic calculation tool — rather than software platforms.

LfL serves Bavarian farmers, the Bavarian food sector, and agricultural policy stakeholders, delivering value through a portfolio of publication series (LfL-Informationen, LfL-Schriftenreihe, LfL-Merkblätter, LfL-Magazine), a monthly newsletter, on-site events and seminars, and direct advisory services via regional Ämter für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten. Revenue mechanics are entirely government-funded; LfL does not operate commercial pricing, with nominal fees (e.g., 0.50–1.00 EUR) on select Merkblätter. Distribution is event-driven and institutionally embedded: knowledge transfer happens through direct expert consulting, publications, social media (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram), and in-person field events such as scythe courses, camelid husbandry seminars, and climate-conference programming.

Name

LfL

Legal name

Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft

Website

https://lfl.bayern.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LfL is the Bavarian state research center for agriculture, providing applied research, expert consulting, publications, and training to Bavarian farmers and the food sector through nine specialized institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Consulting

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG)

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• Applied agronomy consulting
• Livestock husbandry research
• Aquaculture and fisheries research
• Agricultural extension services

Headquarters

HQ city

Freising

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: LfL is a Bavarian state research institution funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism (StMELF). It operates as a public service institution providing research, consulting, and education services to the agricultural sector.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LfL (Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft) is the knowledge and service center for Bavarian agriculture, conducting applied agricultural research and providing expert consulting, training, and information services. Its portfolio spans crop production, plant protection, animal breeding and husbandry, fisheries/aquaculture, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, and food quality, delivering practical solutions to farmers, food-sector companies, and policymakers.

Product overview

LfL operates as a unified knowledge and service center for Bavarian agriculture, offering a portfolio of information products and services rather than a traditional software platform. The core offerings consist of publication series (LfL-Informationen, LfL-Schriftenreihe, LfL-Merkblätter), an agricultural weather data service (AgrarMeteorologie Bayern), economic calculation tools (LfL Deckungsbeiträge), and a regular newsletter. Research is conducted through specialized institutes covering agricultural ecology, crop science, plant protection, animal breeding, animal husbandry, fisheries, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, and food economy. LfL functions as a government research institution providing applied research, knowledge transfer, and consulting services rather than commercial technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LfL-Informationen (LfL Information Publications)

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Tourismus (StMELF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStMELF is the overseeing Bavarian State Ministry that funds and directs LfL's activities. LfL implements EU and national guidelines and programs under the ministry's direction.
• Kompetenzzentrum für Ernährung (KErn)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on food quality and nutrition research, particularly for the 'Innovative Foods from the Field' research focus area, supporting market analysis and value chain development for protein crops.
• Technologie- und Förderzentrum Straubing (TFZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the Floating-PV research project investigating the influence of floating photovoltaic systems on pond productivity for carp farming. TFZ contributes technical expertise on renewable energy applications.
• Landesanstalt für Weinbau und Gartenbau (LWG)minorOthersSister institution within the Bavarian state research institutions network, conducting research in viticulture and horticulture.
• Landesanstalt für Wald und Forstwirtschaft (LWF)minorOthersSister institution within the Bavarian state research institutions network, focused on forestry research.
• Bayerische Staatsgüter (BaySG)minorOthersBavarian State Estates operating agricultural research stations.
• Technologie- und Förderzentrum (TFZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology and promotion center contributing to agricultural innovation projects.
• Ämter für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und ForstencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional offices that serve as direct interface between LfL research and agricultural practice, implementing guidelines and providing local advisory services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Agroscope: Swiss federal agricultural research, extension, and knowledge-transfer institution. Closest international peer in combining applied agricultural research, extension services, and farmer-facing publications under a single government-backed structure.
• Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI): German federal research institute for cultivated plants, covering plant cultivation, plant protection, and plant genetics. Directly comparable to LfL's Pflanzenbau and Pflanzenschutz institutes but at federal rather than Bavarian state level.
• Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI): German federal research institute for animal health and livestock science, with comparable focus to LfL's Tierzucht and Tierhaltung institutes. Strong direct peer in animal breeding, husbandry, and welfare research.
• Teagasc: Irish national agriculture and food development authority, combining applied research, advisory (extension), and vocational training. Direct structural analog to LfL as a state-level research-plus-extension body serving a national farming base.
• Bayerische Landesanstalt für Weinbau und Gartenbau (LWG): Sister Bavarian state research institution under StMELF, focused on viticulture, horticulture, and garden-related research and extension. Closest institutional peer in the same state ministry system with the same funding/governance model.
• Max Rubner-Institut (MRI): German federal research institute for nutrition and food, covering food quality, safety, and technology. Directly comparable to LfL's Ernährungswirtschaft and Zentrale Analytik functions, including the 'Innovative Foods from the Field' focus area.
• Thünen Institute: German federal research institute covering rural areas, forestry, and fisheries. Directly comparable to LfL's Fischerei, Agrarökologie, and rural-economics work, including the carp pond and Floating-PV research domains.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment. A much larger, federally scoped peer covering essentially the same multi-disciplinary remit as LfL (plants, animals, food, environment, economics) at greater scale and with broader geographic mandate.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Dutch agricultural research and education powerhouse combining Wageningen Research with Wageningen University. Comparable multi-disciplinary applied agricultural research scope (plants, animals, food, environment) with a much larger international footprint and commercial spin-out ecosystem.

Regional players

• Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen: Chamber of Agriculture for Lower Saxony, providing applied agricultural advisory, vocational training, and applied research services to farmers. Comparable regional extension/advisory role to LfL but operating in a different German state and structured as a self-governing chamber rather than a state agency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BayLfL
• Facebookfacebook.com/Land.Schafft.Bayern
• Instagraminstagram.com/lfl.bayern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freistaat-bayern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 LfL