ASFONA

What ASFONA does

ASFONA (Association pour la Formation Nationale Agricole) is a French non-profit professional training association, founded in 1989 and headquartered at Les Ruralies in Prahecq, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It delivers continuing education and regulatory certification programs — most prominently the mandatory Certiphyto and Certibiocide phytosanitary certifications — to agricultural cooperatives, grain traders, silo operators, advisors, and farmers across France. Its training catalog spans ten thematic areas covering silo operations, grain conservation and commercialization, agroecology, environment, safety/quality/HACCP, commercial skills, management, HR, and regulatory updates, with structured multi-month pathways such as the 200+ hour Parcours Silo and the Commercialisation des Grains program.

The organization runs a lean operation of approximately 12 staff, including four adviser-trainers, and delivered 389 sessions to 2,156 trainees in the 2025 reference year, with certification pass rates of 99.6% (Certiphyto), 100% (Certibiocide), and 96.55% for other certifications. Its technology footprint is limited to operational training management software (Gessica) and the TIDO SILO digital solution launched in June 2025, which addresses the CSA-GTP referential for grain storage management.

Revenue is generated entirely through professional training services, with pedagogical costs largely covered by OCAPIAT (100% for agricultural firms under 50 employees, plus SMIC-rate salary reimbursement), VIVEA for farmers, and the CPF individual training account. Distribution is direct via phone/email and the online catalog, complemented by on-site intra-company delivery across France, and reinforced by partnerships with NACA and FNA — the latter holding a seat on ASFONA's orientation committee. ASFONA holds QUALIOPI (since November 2020) and QUALICERT certifications, enabling it to access public training funds.

Name

ASFONA

Legal name

ASFONA - Association pour la Formation Nationale Agricole

Website

https://asfona.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASFONA is a French non-profit training association (founded 1989) delivering mandatory phytosanitary certifications and specialized continuing education programs to agricultural trade, grain storage, and agri-food professionals across France, alongside its TIDO SILO digital compliance tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Professional Training Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABALAA

Agriculture & Food Production

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Industry-Specific Professional Training (e.g., Healthcare, Manufacturing, Construction)

SECONDARYAFALADAK

Training & Competency Programs (HACCP, PCQI, GMP)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Regulatory Compliance Testing & Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA, HACCP)

SECONDARYAFACAJAE

Regulatory Compliance, Permitting & Audit Readiness (Food Safety, Environmental, Labor)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Farm Management & Operational Advisory Services

SECONDARYEDAOAOAF

Crop, Soil & Agronomy Technician Training

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Agriculture, Horticulture & Skilled Trades

Keywords

• Agricultural professional training
• Phytosanitary certification training
• Grain storage training
• Agricultural cooperative training
• Certiphyto Certibiocide certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Prahecq

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Services: ASFONA generates revenue through providing professional training services to agricultural and agri-food sector companies. Training is financed through OCAPIAT (100% for companies under 50 employees), VIVEA (for farmers), and CPF ( Compte Personnel de Formation).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ASFONA is a French non-profit professional training association that delivers certified agricultural training programs to companies and personnel across the grain trade, agricultural cooperatives, and agribusiness sector. Its core offering spans regulatory certifications (Certiphyto, Certibiocide), silo operations, grain conservation and commercialization, agroecology, environment, safety/quality, commercial, management, HR, and regulatory compliance training, complemented by the TIDO SILO digital solution for CSA-GTP-compliant grain storage management.

Product overview

ASFONA (Association pour la Formation Nationale Agricole) is an agricultural training organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of training programs and the TIDO SILO digital solution. The company provides specialized training across 10 thematic areas including Certiphyto, Certibiocide, Silo Operations, Agroecology, Environment, Quality/Safety, Commercial, Management, Human Resources, and Regulatory Compliance. TIDO SILO is their flagship digital product for grain storage management compliant with CSA-GTP standards. Their training delivery includes structured multi-module pathways like Parcours Silo (6-8 months, 200+ hours) and Commercialisation des Grains, complemented by individual courses on grain conservation, eco-energy management, and carbon reduction strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TIDO SILO: Digital solution that fully meets the new CSA-GTP reference framework for grain storage management.

Products and services

• TIDO SILO Digital solution for grain storage management that meets CSA-GTP referential requirements, designed for silo operators and grain sector professionals.
• Certiphyto Formation

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.60% Certiphytos obtained rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• OCAPIATcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOCAPIAT is the OPCO (Joint Collective Management Organization) for the agricultural sector. ASFONA offers training sessions eligible for 100% financing through OCAPIAT for companies under 50 employees. This partnership provides access to subsidized training for the agricultural trade sector.
• VIVEAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVIVEA is the training fund for farmers and agricultural professionals. ASFONA training sessions are eligible for VIVEA financing, enabling agricultural entrepreneurs to access subsidized professional development.
• CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorASFONA offers CPF-eligible training sessions, allowing individual professionals to use their training credits for ASFONA courses.
• NACA (Négoce Agricole Centre-Atlantique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACA is the Agricultural Trade Centre-Atlantic Union. ASFONA works closely with NACA on training programs and is involved in NACA's governance through an orientation committee. The FNA will participate in ASFONA's governance.
• FNA (Fédération du Négoce Agricole)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNA is the National Agricultural Trade Federation. ASFONA partners with FNA for grain commercialization training programs. Training sessions are held at FNA premises in Paris, and FNA participates in ASFONA's governance.
• SouffletmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoufflet is a major agricultural cooperative and trading company. ASFONA provides ongoing training programs including Silo Training Parcours for Soufflet employees, conducting multiple training sessions at Soufflet locations across France.
• AGRODISTRIBUTIONminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAGRODISTRIBUTION is a leading French agricultural trade publication. ASFONA was featured in an article discussing training programs for technical-commercial teams.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AFPA: France's largest national vocational training organization. While not agriculture-specialized, AFPA delivers adjacent professional certifications (CACES, safety, HACCP) that overlap with parts of ASFONA's catalog.
• AFNOR Compétences: Training and certification arm of AFNOR Group. Provides professional training and competency certification (including food safety and quality systems), overlapping with ASFONA's QUALICERT-aligned offering.
• GRETA: Public network of adult vocational training providers affiliated with the French Education Nationale. GRETA centers deliver technical and trade training across France, competing for OPCO-financed sessions.
• CCI France (Chambers of Commerce training): National network of Chambers of Commerce that deliver commercial, management, and regulatory training to enterprises, including in the agribusiness and grain-trading segments served by ASFONA.

Others

• AFTRAL: France's leading transport and logistics training provider. ASFONA's CACES, FIMO, and ADR training lines compete with AFTRAL for enterprise customers needing these obligatory certifications for silo and agricultural-vehicle personnel.

Direct peers

• CFPPA (Centres de Formation Professionnelle et de Promotion Agricole): Public network of agricultural vocational training centers offering Certiphyto, Certibiocide, and agricultural technical training. Closest direct peer to ASFONA's core curriculum for French agricultural-trade professionals.
• Maisons Familiales Rurales (MFR): Federation of rural family education houses delivering agricultural and vocational training across rural France. Competes for the same pool of agricultural-sector learners and OCAPIAT/VIVEA funding.
• Chambres d'agriculture (APCA network): National federation of departmental Chambers of Agriculture, which run their own Certiphyto, regulatory, and agronomy training programs for farmers and farm-employees in every French département.

Emerging players

• ISARA: Lyon-based agricultural engineering school with executive education and continuing professional development offerings for the French ag sector. Competes for corporate-training budgets of agribusiness firms.
• Hectar: Agricultural education and start-up studio backed by major French agribusinesses (including AXEMA members). Competes for the same audience of agricultural-trade talent and offers newer, more tech-enabled training formats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/asfona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asfona

Compliance2 records

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 ASFONA