Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V. - BÖLW

What Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V. - BÖLW does

Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V. (BÖLW) is Germany's leading umbrella association for the organic food economy, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Berlin. Classified as a "Bio-Spitzenverband," the association represents the entire organic value chain — from approximately 35,585 organic farmers and 22,380+ certified processors to traders and retailers — serving as the unified policy voice for the sector in dealings with the German federal government, the EU Commission, and the European Parliament. BÖLW is governed by its member organizations and led by Chair Tina Andres and Managing Executive Board member Peter Röhrig, supported by a 19-person team covering policy, law, press, events, and project management.

The association's core activities are advocacy, research coordination, market intelligence, and consumer education rather than commercial product development. BÖLW publishes the annual Branchenreport industry statistics, runs the Bio-FAQ consumer information service, hosts the biennial Öko-Feldtrade fair and annual Bio-Recht Fachtag legal conference, and co-funds the Being Organic in EU promotion campaign. It coordinates government-funded research projects (Kulturnetzwerk 2017–2024, BioVerarbeitungStark, HumusKlimaNetz, OEKOGAIA) and participates in cross-sector alliances such as Bündnis für mehr Bio, Meine Landwirtschaft, the Zukunftskommission Landwirtschaft, and the Borchert-Kommission.

BÖLW is financed through membership fees from its member associations, supplemented by EU and federal project grants (e.g., Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau). It does not sell products or services commercially. The association's strategic posture in 2025–2026 is defensive on federal funding (publicly opposing 2027 budget cuts to organic farming) and proactive on EU regulatory shaping (EU-Öko-Verordnung 2018/848 amendments, GAP reform 2027, animal welfare labeling, new genetic engineering regulation, and EU patent law on biopatents).

Name

Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V. - BÖLW

Legal name

Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V.

Website

https://boelw.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BÖLW is the Berlin-based German umbrella association for the organic food economy, representing approximately 35,585 organic farmers, 22,000+ certified processors, and 55,000+ bio-certified companies through membership-based advocacy, EU policy shaping, and industry research coordination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association / Agricultural Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Packaged Foods Manufacturing (Certified Organic, Clean-Label) (AFAKAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Organic & Natural Grocery Wholesale (AFAIABAI), Organic Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Wholesale (AFAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Organic food advocacy
• Agricultural policy representation
• Industry association services
• Sustainable farming lobby
• Organic sector statistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: BÖLW is funded through membership fees from its member organizations, which include associations and companies throughout the organic food value chain in Germany.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BÖLW is the German umbrella association for the organic food economy, representing the entire value chain from organic farmers to processors, traders, and retailers. As a registered non-profit (eingetragener Verein), it provides policy advocacy on EU organic regulation and German agricultural policy, industry data and statistics (Branchenreport), sector events (Öko-Feldtage, Bio-Recht Fachtag), consumer education (Bio-FAQ), and coordination of research and alliance projects across the German organic sector.

Product overview

Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V. (BÖLW) is Germany's leading organic food industry association, not a product company. It serves as an advocacy and policy organization representing the interests of the organic food sector. The organization does not offer commercial products or services; instead, it provides information resources, policy advocacy, industry data, FAQ content, press releases, and educational materials about organic farming, food processing, bio regulations, and sustainability. Its activities focus on representing its members (organic farmers, processors, and traders), influencing agricultural policy, providing industry statistics and research, and promoting organic agriculture in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Being Organic in EU: EU-wide communication campaign for organic products, co-funded by BÖLW and the European Union.

Products and services

• BÖLW Membership Paid membership tier for associations and companies in the German organic food sector, granting access to BÖLW's advocacy, publications, events, and policy coordination activities.
• Öko-Feldtage Biennial trade fair on organic farming, organized by BÖLW, where farmers, researchers, and industry stakeholders exhibit practices, machinery, and innovation.
• Bio-Recht Fachtag Annual conference focused on organic food law and EU organic regulation, addressing legal practitioners, certifiers, processors, and policy stakeholders.
• Branchenreport (Industry Report) Annual report publishing German organic sector statistics, market data, employment figures, and trends for industry members, media, and policymakers.
• Being Organic in EU Campaign EU-co-funded information and promotion campaign for organic products in Germany, delivering consumer-facing events, media, and education activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 388.000 Arbeitsplätze (jobs) created in German bio sector (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Being Organic in EUmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEU-funded information and promotion campaign for organic products in Germany. The campaign promotes organic farming and products through events, media, and consumer education activities across Germany.
• Meine Landwirtschaft (My Agriculture)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of organizations advocating for ecological and bäuerliche (farmer-focused) agriculture. Annual demonstrations in Berlin for sustainable farming policies.
• Bündnis für mehr Bio zum Schutz der Artenvielfalt (Alliance for More Organic for Biodiversity Protection)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of 19 agricultural, environmental, and animal welfare organizations working together to promote organic farming and species protection. Joint policy recommendations submitted to politicians.
• BioVerarbeitungStarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject to improve political framework conditions for small and medium-sized organic processing businesses in Germany.
• Kulturnetzwerk (Crop Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBÖLW-coordinated project (2017-2024) funded by Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau (BÖL) to develop crop-specific plant health strategies for organic farming. Involved coordination with organic crop networks for arable farming, vegetables, potatoes, fruits, wine, and hops.
• HumusKlimaNetzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork focused on soil organic matter (humus) and climate protection in organic farming.
• OEKOGAIAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork related to fertilization in organic plant cultivation.
• Qualitätsgemeinschaft Bio-MineralwasserminorOthersQuality association for organic mineral water, joined as new member in the BÖLW umbrella organization in January 2026. Focuses on water protection as a central theme.
• Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau (BÖL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal program funding organic farming research and projects. BÖLW coordinates projects like Kulturnetzwerk under this program.
• Zukunftskommission Landwirtschaft (ZKL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommission of actors from across the agricultural and food sector working on sustainable agriculture recommendations. BÖLW is a member.
• Borchert-KommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommission led by former CDU politician Jochen Borchert (2020) with recommendations for better livestock farming and animal welfare labeling.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IFOAM Organics International: Global umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movement. Comparable to BÖLW as a federation of organic stakeholders operating across advocacy, standards, and policy, but at a global rather than German national level.
• Demeter e.V. German biodynamic agriculture association and certifier. Comparable to BÖLW as a German organic industry association, though operating with a stricter biodynamic standard rather than the full sector umbrella role.
• Naturland – Verband für ökologischen Landbau e.V. German organic farming association with international certification reach. Directly comparable to BÖLW as a member-based association representing organic producers and processors in Germany with active policy engagement.
• Bio Austria: Austrian umbrella association for organic farmers. Comparable to BÖLW as a national-level organic industry association representing farmers and processors, though focused on Austria rather than Germany.
• FiBL – Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau: Switzerland-headquartered research institute dedicated to organic agriculture, with operations across Germany and the EU. Comparable to BÖLW for its role in coordinating organic research and advising on EU-level organic sector development.
• Bioland e.V. Germany's largest organic farming association, with its own standards and certification. Comparable to BÖLW as a member-based organic industry body in Germany, though focused on a specific farmer-led standard rather than the entire value chain.

Regional players

• Soil Association: UK-based charity and organic certification body that campaigns on organic food and farming policy. Directly comparable to BÖLW in mission and activities, but operates primarily in the UK rather than Germany.
• Organic Trade Association: US-based membership association for the organic industry. Comparable to BÖLW as a trade association advocating for organic producers and processors, but focused on the North American market.
• Fédération Nationale d'Agriculture Biologique (FNAB): French national federation of organic agriculture organizations. Comparable to BÖLW in role and structure as a national-level umbrella for the organic sector, though serving the French market.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV): Germany's main general farmers' association representing conventional and organic farmers. Comparable to BÖLW as a national agricultural industry association engaging in agricultural policy advocacy, though broader in scope across conventional and organic producers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b%C3%B6lw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft e.V. - BÖLW