DAKOFO

What DAKOFO does

DAKOFO is a Danish trade association (brancheforening) representing 50 member companies in the country's grain, feed, fish feed, and trading/brokerage sectors. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Copenhagen K (relocated to Christianshavn in May 2021), the association operates as the unified industry voice with Danish authorities and at the EU level through memberships in COCERAL (European grain trade) and FEFAC (European feed production). Its core mission is to protect member interests, promote collegial cooperation, and maintain sound industry conditions, delivered through standardized Copenhagen Contracts (in use since 1893), regulatory advocacy, and quality forums.

DAKOFO's service portfolio spans multiple programs and events. The Danish Preferred program is an industry-based malting barley variety approval system that coordinates VCU trials (TystofteFonden, SEGES), micro-malting stress testing (VLB Berlin), and committee review across plant breeders, maltsters, and brewers. The Baltic Grain Exchange, co-organized with ProAgro, is the leading annual grain and feed industry event in the Baltic region, held at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen. DAKOFO also manages the SAI/FSA sustainability verification program for Danish malting barley (covering ~5,000 farmers through 8 member companies), the Forum for Hestefoder (horse feed), Forum for Kvalitet, the Maltbygnetværket malting barley network, NIT/EyeFoss quality measurement networks, Grundkursus i Grovvarer training (in partnership with Erhvervsakademi Aarhus), and the DLPI agricultural plastic recycling partnership (with Dansk Planteværn and Arla Foods, handling ~12,000 tonnes annually).

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership fees from the 50 member companies, transactional event fees from Baltic Grain Exchange (delegate, gala, exhibitor packages), and training course fees. Leadership rests with Director Claus Saabye Erichsen, supported by a Political Chief Consultant, consultants, finance staff, and student assistants. The board (bestyrelsen) comprises representatives from major member companies including Danish Agro, DLG, Mollerup Mølle, Vestjyllands Andel, and others.

Name

DAKOFO

Legal name

DAKOFO

Website

https://dakofo.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DAKOFO is a Danish trade association representing 50 grain, feed, fish feed, and brokerage companies, delivering industry advocacy, sustainability verification (SAI/FSA), the Danish Preferred malting barley program, and the annual Baltic Grain Exchange event.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Trade Association Services

NAICS

Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAH)

Keywords

• Grain trade association
• Feed industry coordination
• Agricultural commodity trade
• Malting barley programs
• Industry advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen K

HQ country

Denmark

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: DAKOFO generates revenue through membership fees from its 50 member companies comprising Danish grain and feed companies, fish feed industry, and trading/brokerage firms.
2. Baltic Grain Exchange event: Annual conference with ticket sales for exchange day (133.5 EUR) and gala dinner (173.5 EUR), plus exhibitor packages (1870 EUR) and sponsorship opportunities.
3. Training courses: Basic course in coarse feed/grain (Grundkursus i grovvarer) with 2 modules offered to member company employees at 10,000-13,000 DKK per participant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DAKOFO is a Danish trade association (brancheforening) for the grain and feed trade industry. It represents approximately 50 member companies including Danish grain importers/exporters, fish feed producers, and trading and brokerage firms. The association provides industry representation, advocacy, standardized trading contracts (Copenhagen Contracts), sustainability verification programs, training courses, and coordinates industry events such as the annual Baltic Grain Exchange conference.

Product overview

DAKOFO is an industry association for the Danish grain and feed trade, not a unified software product. The organization provides member services through a portfolio of programs and initiatives: the core association services include trade contracting (Copenhagen Contracts), quality forums, and regulatory advocacy. Key programs include Danish Preferred (malting barley variety approval), SAI/FSA sustainability verification, and Baltic Grain Exchange (annual industry conference). Additional services encompass training (Grundkursus i Grovvarer), agricultural plastic recycling (DLPI), quality measurement networks (NIT/EyeFoss), and specialized forums for horse feed and malting barley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Danish Preferred: A Danish industry-based program for industrial approval of malting barley varieties grown in Denmark.
• Dansk LandbrugsPlast Indsamling (DLPI)
• Baltic Grain Exchange
• SAI/FSA Danish Malt Barley

Products and services

• DAKOFO Industry Association Membership Core membership services for approximately 50 Danish grain and feed trade companies, including industry representation with authorities and EU bodies, advocacy, collegial cooperation promotion, and maintenance of sound industry conditions.
• Danish Preferred Program An industry-based program for industrial approval of malting barley varieties grown in Denmark. The program evaluates varieties through stress testing via micro-malting at VLB Berlin and industrial-scale evaluation before inclusion in the Danish Malting Barley Catalogue.
• Baltic Grain Exchange (BGE) The most important grain, feed and trade event in the Baltic region, organized annually by DAKOFO and ProAgro at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen. Includes exchange sessions, exhibitions, networking, and a gala dinner.
• Forum for Hestefoder (Horse Feed Forum) A member circle of 12 Danish companies that trade and produce horse feed, established to strengthen industry cooperation, address pre-competitive challenges, and facilitate dialogue with authorities.
• SAI/FSA Verification Program for Danish Malting Barley Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) verification program for Danish malting barley in collaboration with SAI Platform, evaluating sustainability across economy, social responsibility, and environment, scoring companies as Bronze, Silver, or Gold.
• Grundkursus i Grovvarer (Basic Course in Coarse Feed) A professional development course providing foundational knowledge about agriculture, grain, feed, raw material quality, and trading conditions. The course consists of 2 modules of 5 teaching days each, offered at 10,000-13,000 DKK per participant.
• Dansk LandbrugsPlast Indsamling (DLPI) Partnership for collecting and recycling agricultural plastic packaging and film, handling approximately 12,000 tonnes of agricultural plastic annually and addressing extended producer responsibility requirements.
• Copenhagen Contracts Standard trading conditions and contracts developed by the Copenhagen Assessment and Arbitration Committee for grain and feed trade, including sales and purchase terms for import and export of grain and feedstuffs, with arbitration services.
• Forum for Kvalitet (Quality Forum) A forum under DAKOFO that addresses current quality topics within production and trade of feed and raw materials, typically meeting quarterly.
• Maltbygnetværket (Malting Barley Network) A network between various industry companies that meets several times annually to discuss central quality topics related to malting barley.
• NIT/EyeFoss Networks Networks of instruments that measure crop quality parameters, organized into two networks (NIT and EyeFoss) monitored by a steering group.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 member companies represented
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COCERALcoreOthersEuropean association for cereal and commodity trade. DAKOFO is the Danish member of COCERAl, gaining representation in European grain trade policy and market intelligence.
• FEFACcoreOthersEuropean association for compound feed manufacturers. DAKOFO is the Danish member of FEFAC, providing access to European feed production policy and standards.
• Erhvervsakademi AarhuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership for developing and delivering the Grundkursus i grovvarer (basic course in coarse feed/grain) for member company employees.
• VLB Berlin (Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts micro-malting stress tests for the Danish Preferred program at 100g scale using custom rotating drum system with samples at three moisture levels.
• SAI PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization (founded 2002) for sustainable agriculture. DAKOFO serves as SAI coordinator implementing Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) verification for Danish malting barley.
• TystofteFondencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts official Danish variety trials (VCU trials) and provides micromalting data for Danish Preferred variety stress testing program.
• Dansk LandbrugsPlast Indsamling (DLPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established by DAKOFO, Dansk Planteværn, and Arla Foods to collect and recycle agricultural plastic packaging and film. Handles approx. 12,000 tonnes of agricultural plastic annually.
• ProAgrocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of Baltic Grain Exchange annual conference and trade event for the Baltic grain and feed industry.
• SEGESminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates Danish national field trials published via sortinfo.dk, providing two years of cultivation data for Danish Preferred variety applications.
• Nordic SeedcoreOthersPlant breeding company represented in Danish Preferred Committee (Chair: Ida Marie Garder) as representative from plant breeding industry.
• Sejet Plant BreedingcoreOthersPlant breeding company (Lene Krusell, Troels Nørgaard) represented in Danish Preferred Committee as representative from plant breeding industry.
• Saaten UnioncoreOthersPlant breeding company (Jens Ole Nielsen) represented in Danish Preferred Committee as representative from plant breeding industry.
• Viking MaltcoreOthersMalt production company (Lars Studsgaard Pedersen) represented in Danish Preferred Committee as representative from the malting industry.
• Fuglsang MaltcoreOthersMalt production company (Mogens Lassen) represented in Danish Preferred Committee as representative from the malting industry.
• Carlsberg Research LaboratorycoreOthersBrewing company (Birgitte Skadhauge) represented in Danish Preferred Committee as representative from the brewing industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• CropLife International: Global trade association for the plant science industry. While CropLife focuses on crop inputs rather than trade, it is a comparable industry-association structure serving agribusinesses through policy advocacy and standards work.
• SAI Platform: Global non-profit for sustainable agriculture that runs the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA). DAKOFO is an FSA coordinator implementing SAI verification for Danish malting barley, making SAI Platform a close ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.
• SEGES (Danish Agriculture & Food Council): Danish research and innovation centre for agriculture that coordinates national field trials used by the Danish Preferred program. SEGES is a complementary sector organization rather than a direct trade body, but it overlaps significantly in serving Danish grain industry stakeholders.
• VLB Berlin (Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei): Berlin-based brewing research institute that conducts micro-malting stress tests for DAKOFO's Danish Preferred program. VLB is a technical partner rather than a competitor, but is comparable in being an industry-serving institution for the brewing/grain value chain.
• ProAgro: Danish agricultural consultancy that co-organizes the Baltic Grain Exchange with DAKOFO. ProAgro is the closest operational collaborator and a peer in serving Danish agribusinesses through events and advisory services.

Direct peers

• Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC): UK trade association representing the agri-supply industry including animal feed, crop production, and grain trade. AIC is the closest international peer to DAKOFO in terms of scope (grain + feed), services (assurance schemes, training, events), and member structure.
• Deutscher Raiffeisenverband (DRV): German national association for cooperative trading in agricultural goods, including grain and feed. DRV is a directly comparable national trade body for the German market with similar member-based representation and standardization roles.

Regional players

• European Feed Industry (FEFAC) members network: Network of national European feed trade associations similar to DAKOFO (e.g., France's SNIA, Italy's Assalzoo, Spain's CESFAC). These are direct European counterparts operating in adjacent national markets with parallel service portfolios.

Broad incumbents

• COCERAL: European association for cereal, rice, feedstuffs, oilseeds, olive oil and agro-supply trade. COCERAL is the EU-level umbrella body of which DAKOFO is the Danish national member, making it the most structurally comparable peer.
• FEFAC: European Feed Manufacturers' Federation representing compound feed manufacturers at EU level. FEFAC is the parallel European body for the feed industry of which DAKOFO is the Danish national member, operating an analogous national-to-EU representation model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dakofo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 DAKOFO