GfRS Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz mbH

Name

GfRS Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz mbH

Legal name

GfRS Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz mbH

Website

https://sicher.bio

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs) (AFALAMAI), Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH), Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

Keywords

• Organic certification services
• EU organic inspection body
• Sustainability label certification
• Supply chain auditing
• DAkkS accredited control body

Headquarters

HQ city

Göttingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Organic certification and inspection services: GfRS generates revenue through certification and inspection fees charged to operators (farms, processors, traders, importers, caterers) seeking organic certification under EU regulations. Fees are typically based on inspection type, operator size, and scope of certification.
2. Sustainability label certification: GfRS offers certification services for additional sustainability standards beyond organic, including FairBio, Klimasiegel, Regionalfenster, Tierschutz, and V-Label.
3. Supply chain audit and evaluation services: GfRS provides supplier audits, residue testing coordination, and supply chain evaluation services for clients concerned about compliance and fraud prevention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GfRS is a DAkkS-accredited German organic inspection and certification body that inspects and certifies organic operators across the full value chain — agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, trade, processing, third-country import, and out-of-home catering — under EU organic regulations. It also offers certification for additional sustainability labels (FairBio, Klima, Regionalfenster, Tierschutz, V-Label) and supply chain integrity services including supplier audits and residue testing.

Product overview

GfRS Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz mbH is an organic certification body (Öko-Kontrollstelle) founded in 1989, offering inspection and certification services for the organic sector. The core offering is Bio-Zertifizierung (organic certification) covering agriculture, viticulture, horticulture, trade, processing, import, and gastronomy. Add-on services include Nachhaltigkeitslabel (sustainability certifications like FairBio, V-Label, Regionalfenster) and Lieferkette (supply chain evaluation and supplier audits). The company co-developed the BioC.info certificate database and the ORG-LEX e-learning platform for EU organic regulation training. Services are delivered through hotline support, training courses (Basiskurs Bio-Kontrolle), and publications (GfRS Info-Service newsletter). The company operates primarily in Germany and Luxembourg, with codenumbers DE-ÖKO-039 and LU-BIO-07.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bio-Zertifizierung (Organic Certification) Accredited inspection and certification of organic operators across agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, trade, processing, third-country import, and out-of-home catering under EU organic regulations, enabling operators to use the EU organic logo and recognized codes DE-ÖKO-039 and LU-BIO-07.
• Organic Import Certification (TRACES Services) Electronic processing of organic imports from non-EU countries via the EU TRACES system, including Certificate of Inspection (COI) management and coordination with state organic authorities (Landes-Öko-Behörden) for import release.
• Nachhaltigkeitslabel (Sustainability Labels) — FairBio, Klimasiegel, Regionalfenster, Tierschutz, V-Label Certification services for additional sustainability standards beyond organic, including FairBio (fair trade), Klimasiegel (climate), Regionalfenster (regional origin), Tierschutz (animal welfare), and V-Label (vegan/vegetarian), enabling clients to consolidate multiple consumer-facing sustainability claims through one certification body.
• Lieferkette (Supply Chain Services) — Evaluation, Supplier Audits, Residue Testing Supply chain evaluation, supplier audits, and residue testing services to verify and protect organic integrity throughout the value chain for clients concerned about compliance and fraud prevention.
• Basiskurs Bio-Kontrolle (Basic Course for Organic Inspection) Foundational training course qualifying inspectors for organic inspection and certification work, combining academic expertise with practical inspection knowledge and delivered in cooperation with Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen and BLE.

Quantifiable outcome

• GfRS-certified organic operators can be verified in real-time via the BioC.info database
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BioC GmbHcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 December 2010GfRS is a founding member of BioC GmbH, established alongside other organic certification bodies, BÖLW, and FiBL. BioC operates the www.bioc.info database providing real-time verification of organic certificates. GfRS contributes to the platform's development and uses it to generate electronic certificates for its certified operators. The database also offers a supplier monitoring alert feature.
• Quavera-AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfRS is an active member and coordinator of the Quavera-Alliance, a European network of organic certification bodies focused on risk-oriented inspection methods. GfRS coordinated the EU-funded project IRM-Organic (2012-2014) for cross-border risk-oriented inspection training via a 'Train-the-Trainer' approach.
• EOCC (European Organic Certifiers Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfRS is a member of EOCC, the European umbrella organization for organic certification bodies. EOCC coordinates harmonization of inspection standards and provides a platform for exchange among European organic certifiers.
• Anti-Fraud Initiative (AFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfRS participates in the Anti-Fraud Initiative (AFI), a European network including representatives from authorities, trade, and certification bodies from over 12 European countries and the USA. AFI facilitates information exchange and discussion on reducing fraud risk and avoiding irregularities in organic trade.
• DAkkS (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfRS is accredited by DAkkS (accreditation number D-ZE-18003-01-00) for organic certification activities. DAkkS accreditation provides official recognition of GfRS's competence to conduct organic inspections and certifications under German and EU law.
• Justus-Liebig-Universität GießenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfRS cooperates with Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen and BLE (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung) to co-host the Basiskurs Bio-Kontrolle (Basic Course for Organic Inspection). This joint recognized training program trains future organic inspectors, combining academic expertise with practical inspection knowledge from GfRS.
• BLE (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLE (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food) is a governmental partner in the Basiskurs Bio-Kontrolle jointly recognized with GfRS and the university. BLE is also the issuing authority for marketing authorizations for organic imports under the former regime.
• FiBL (Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGfRS collaborates with FiBL (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture) on R&D projects, including a joint project (2009-2012) with MRI on developing methods to distinguish organic and conventional agricultural products. GfRS also references FiBL content in its LinkedIn posts.
• LAVE NRW (Lebensmittelüberwachungs-, Veterinär- und Umweltuntersuchungsamt)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAVE NRW provides anti-fraud training content for GfRS's Basiskurs Bio-Kontrolle, contributing concrete case studies on organic fraud detection and investigation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Major international TIC player with organic and agricultural food certification offerings, competing with GfRS primarily when clients seek broader multi-standard, multi-geography certification bundles.
• TÜV Rheinland / TÜV SÜD: Large German-rooted TIC groups providing organic, food, and sustainability certification; compete with GfRS when enterprise clients want integrated certification across organic, quality, and safety standards.
• ECOCERT Group: France-headquartered global certification body with significant organic and sustainability operations, providing broadly comparable services to GfRS but at much larger international scale and across many more geographies.
• Control Union: Global certification and inspection company with strong organic certification (including EU and NOP/USDA), overlapping with GfRS in organic imports and processing certification but operating at a much larger international scale.
• SGS: Global leader in testing, inspection, and certification (TIC). While SGS does not focus exclusively on organic, it offers organic and food-certification services that compete with GfRS for multi-standard European operators.

Emerging players

• Naturland e.V. Germany-based organic farming association with its own certification mark and associated control activities; a peer in the German organic certification ecosystem that competes for organic operator relationships.
• Demeter e.V. Germany-based biodynamic farming association that operates its own certification scheme. While a private standard rather than a pure control body, it is a relevant peer in the organic certification ecosystem where GfRS operates.

Direct peers

• ABCERT AG: One of Germany's largest private organic control bodies, accredited by DAkkS, providing inspection and certification services across organic agriculture, processing, and trade — directly competing with GfRS in the German organic certification market.
• LACON GmbH: German-based organic and quality certification body accredited by DAkkS, offering inspection and certification across organic, Demeter, and other sustainability standards — a direct peer in the German organic certification market.
• Kiwa BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH: Part of the international Kiwa group, Kiwa BCS is a major organic and sustainability certification body operating across multiple European and non-EU markets, directly competing with GfRS in organic certification while offering broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gesellschaft-f%C3%BCr-ressourcenschutz-mbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about GfRS Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz mbH