COMIFER
French non-profit professional association (loi 1901) headquartered in Nanterre, convening 263 researchers, agronomists, fertilizer industry players, and policymakers around rational fertilization through technical publications, five working groups, the Prev'N tool certification label, and biennial Rencontres congresses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNanterre, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What COMIFER does
COMIFER (Comité Français d'Étude et de Développement de la Fertilisation Raisonnée) is a French non-profit professional association organized under the loi 1901 framework and headquartered in Nanterre. Founded over 30 years ago, it serves as the recognized multi-stakeholder forum for rational fertilization, convening researchers, agronomists, fertilizer industry players, agricultural advisors, and government policymakers around the science and practice of crop nutrient management. As of 2023 the association counted 263 members and runs a biennial congress series (Rencontres Comifer-Gemas) that has convened 16 editions since 1993, drawing 450+ participants to its most recent event.
The association's core products are organized around five permanent working groups covering nitrogen (NS), sewage sludge and waste recycling with trace elements (SAB-ET), phosphorus-potassium-magnesium (PKMg), fertilizer products (PRO), and organic fertilization (FOrBS). COMIFER operates the Prev'N certification label, which validates nitrogen calculation decision-support tools and currently covers 18+ certified products used by farmers and agronomic advisors. Its technical output also includes reference publications on rational fertilization that serve as authoritative guidance for downstream software vendors, advisors, and policymakers. The association contributes directly to French national policy (PAN7, INMAP) and to European regulatory frameworks including the EU Nitrates Directive.
COMIFER's business model is membership-driven with three published tiers: €662 for Associate (organizational) members, €148 for Individual members, and €50 for Student and Retired members. Revenue is supplemented by event registration fees from biennial Rencontres congresses, Prev'N tool certification fees, and likely public-sector research grants channeled through partnerships with MASA, GEMAS, INRAE, GREN, GENEM, EJP SOIL, and RMT BOUCLAGE. The association does not pursue commercial monetization of its technical outputs; instead, value accrues through policy influence, ecosystem standardization via Prev'N, and convening authority across the French fertilization value chain.
COMIFER firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- COMIFER
- Legal name
- COMIFER, Comité Français d'Étude et de Développement de la Fertilisation Raisonnée
- Website
- https://comifer.asso.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- French non-profit professional association (loi 1901) headquartered in Nanterre, convening 263 researchers, agronomists, fertilizer industry players, and policymakers around rational fertilization through technical publications, five working groups, the Prev'N tool certification label, and biennial Rencontres congresses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
COMIFER industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agronomy Professional Services
- NAICS
- Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Compost & Compost Blends (AFABADAE), Compost & Soil Amendment Product Manufacturing/Blending (Value-Added Organics) (BPALAEAH), Soil Preparation, Composting & Amendment Services (HSAIAFAD)
Keywords
Where COMIFER is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nanterre
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
COMIFER business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide primary revenue. Four tiers available: Membre Associé (organization) at €662/year, Individual at €148/year, Student at €50/year, and Retired at €50/year. Membership provides access to working groups, member-only resources, preferential event rates, and voting rights.
- Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from paid events including the biennial Rencontres Comifer-Gemas (congress on rational fertilization and analysis) and thematic days (Journées Thématiques). Reduced rates available for members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Membre Associé (organizational membership) |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Student membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Retired membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Dotateur (Benefactor) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
COMIFER product offering
Product offeringCore offering
COMIFER is a French non-profit professional association (Association loi 1901) that federates public research, technical institutes, and industry actors around rational fertilization and plant nutrition. Its core offerings include the Prev'N label certification for nitrogen calculation tools, recurring technical events (Rencontres Comifer-Gemas, Journées Thématiques), a publication library (brochures, fiche cultures, bilan azoté), the La Lettre du Comifer newsletter, and seven thematic working groups covering soils, nitrogen, water, bioindicators, oligo-elements, legislation, and communication.
Product overview
COMIFER (Comité Français d'Étude et de Développement de la Fertilisation Raisonnée) is a French association dedicated to rational fertilization, operating as a coordination platform rather than a software product company. Its offerings include the Prev'N certification label for nitrogen calculation tools, technical publications (brochures, crop sheets, study reports), and professional events (annual Rencontres conferences and thematic days). The association maintains five permanent working groups covering nitrogen/sulfur, phosphorus/potassium/magnesium, acid-base status/trace elements, organic residual products, and organic/biological soil fertility. Key resources include the nitrogen balance methodology documentation, volatilization efficiency grids, and regular newsletter communications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Prev'N Label
- Rencontres Comifer-Gemas
- Journées Thématiques
- La Lettre du Comifer
- Brochures et supports pédagogiques
- Fiches cultures
- Bilan azoté et besoins des cultures
- Rapports d'études
- Groupes de Travail (Working Groups)
- Adhésion COMIFER
Quantifiable outcome
- 263 members as of 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use COMIFER
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
COMIFER technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
COMIFER partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- EJP SOIL (European Joint Programming Cofund on SOIL)majorEuropean research collaboration on agricultural soil management. COMIFER participated in presenting results of a benchmarking study comparing NPK fertilization reasoning methods across 11 European countries. The study was presented at IFS Congress in Cambridge and contributed to European convergence of fertilization methods.
- RMT BOUCLAGE (Réseau Mixte Technologique)corePartnership for the Prev'N label certification, created in 2018 with support from MASA and MTE. The label guarantees that nitrogen dose calculation tools respect the principles of COMIFER's balance method, in compliance with the Nitrates Directive. The RMT provides ongoing technical collaboration on fertilization and environment topics.
- GEMAS (Groupement d'Intérêt Public pour les Essais Agricole)coreLong-standing co-organizer of the biennial 'Rencontres de la fertilisation raisonnée et de l'analyse' congress. GEMAS specializes in agricultural trials and provides complementary expertise in soil analysis and fertilization.
- GREN (Groupes Régionaux d'Expertise Nitrates)majorRegional expert groups working on nitrates directive implementation. COMIFER provides technical support and expertise to GREN for establishing regional fertilization guidelines and references.
- MASA (Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Souveraineté Alimentaire)majorFrench Ministry of Agriculture. COMIFER serves as a reference contributor for public policy decision-making, providing expertise on fertilization practices, nitrates directive implementation, and agricultural sustainability.
- INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement)majorNational research institute for agriculture, food, and environment. Collaborates with COMIFER on soil fertility research, experimental plots, and scientific reference development.
- GENEM (Gestion des Éléments Nutritifs et des Émissions vers les Milieux)majorInter-ministerial committee on nutrient management and emissions. COMIFER participates in discussions on PAN (Plan d'Action National nitrates) and PREPA (Plan de Réduction des Émissions et Polluants Atmosphériques).
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
COMIFER competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- INRAE: French national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment — a key COMIFER partner. Comparable as a stakeholder in French agricultural research but operating as a state-funded research institution rather than a multi-stakeholder professional association.
- Terres Inovia: French technical institute for oilseed, protein and hemp crops. Comparable as a French agricultural R&D organization with policy-facing role, but specialized on specific crops rather than fertilization methodology.
- Arvalis: French agricultural technical institute focused on arable crops, with comparable French technical institute structure and policy interface, but broader in scope (crop production overall rather than fertilization specifically) and substantially larger in headcount and budget.
Direct peers
- GEMAS (Groupement d'Intérêt Public pour les Essais Agricoles): French public-interest group specializing in agricultural trials, co-organizer with COMIFER of the biennial Rencontres Comifer-Gemas congress since 1993. Directly comparable in mission scope (agricultural analysis and fertilization trials) and in its event-driven engagement model.
- RMT BOUCLAGE (Réseau Mixte Technologique): French mixed technology network on fertilization and environment, partner in the Prev'N label. Operates in a directly overlapping technical and policy domain (nitrogen management, fertilization environment) with a comparable French multi-stakeholder structure.
- AFES (Association Française pour l'Étude des Sols): French scientific association focused on soil science, with a comparable non-profit professional association structure, working groups, and event-driven engagement model. Highly comparable as a French membership-based organization operating in an adjacent (soil-focused) domain to COMIFER's fertilization focus.
Broad incumbents
- The Fertilizer Institute (TFI): US national trade association for the fertilizer industry. Comparable as a fertilizer-focused industry association, though US-centric and with a primarily industry-advocacy orientation rather than COMIFER's multi-stakeholder scientific platform model.
- IFA (International Fertilizer Association): Global fertilizer industry association representing producers, traders, and service providers. Comparable in its role as a fertilizer-focused industry body, but operates at global scale with industry (rather than multi-stakeholder scientific) membership and broader commercial remit.
- Fertilizers Europe: European fertilizer manufacturers association based in Brussels. Operates at EU policy level on fertilizer regulation, paralleling COMIFER's regulatory-contributor role in France, but from an industry perspective rather than a multi-stakeholder scientific platform.
Emerging players
- APNI (African Plant Nutrition Institute): Research and development organization focused on plant nutrition in Africa, providing scientific guidance analogous to COMIFER's role in France. Comparable as a non-profit scientific platform addressing plant nutrition, though geographically focused on Africa.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
COMIFER social profiles
Digital presenceCOMIFER financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
COMIFER leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
COMIFER funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
COMIFER M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about COMIFER
What does COMIFER do?
COMIFER is a French non-profit professional association (Association loi 1901) that federates public research, technical institutes, and industry actors around rational fertilization and plant nutrition. Its core offerings include the Prev'N label certification for nitrogen calculation tools, recurring technical events (Rencontres Comifer-Gemas, Journées Thématiques), a publication library (brochures, fiche cultures, bilan azoté), the La Lettre du Comifer newsletter, and seven thematic working groups covering soils, nitrogen, water, bioindicators, oligo-elements, legislation, and communication.
Is COMIFER a public or private company?
COMIFER is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was COMIFER founded?
COMIFER was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is COMIFER based?
COMIFER is headquartered in Nanterre, France, in the Europe region.
How does COMIFER make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Registration Fees.
Who are COMIFER's main competitors?
Others on record are INRAE, Terres Inovia and Arvalis. Direct peers are GEMAS (Groupement d'Intérêt Public pour les Essais Agricoles), RMT BOUCLAGE (Réseau Mixte Technologique) and AFES (Association Française pour l'Étude des Sols). Broad incumbents are The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), IFA (International Fertilizer Association) and Fertilizers Europe. APNI (African Plant Nutrition Institute) is listed as an emerging player.
Does COMIFER have an API?
No public API is recorded for COMIFER.
What industry is COMIFER in?
COMIFER's product category is Agronomy Professional Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAMAE, Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers), with a secondary code of AFABADAE, Compost & Compost Blends. Its NAICS code is 32531 and its SIC code is 700.