Westfälisch-Lippischer Landwirtschaftsverband

What Westfälisch-Lippischer Landwirtschaftsverband does

Westfälisch-Lippischer Landwirtschaftsverband (WLV) is a regional agricultural trade association headquartered in Münster, Germany, representing farmers and foresters across the Westfalen-Lippe region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in 1862 and structured as a registered nonprofit (eingetragener Verein), it claims to represent over 90% of farmers and foresters in its territory, with operational coverage delivered through 16 district offices (Kreisverbände) and a lean central staff of 21 employees. The organization is affiliated with the Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV), the national federation of German farmers' associations, giving it political reach into federal agricultural policy.

WLV's core offerings are organized around four service lines: (1) advisory services covering legal, tax, and insurance matters for member farms; (2) market information and member communications, increasingly delivered through digital channels including the my-wlv member app, the DBVexklusiv benefits platform, and WhatsApp-based member groups; (3) educational and outreach programs, including the Bauernhof-Botschafter farm ambassador scheme and the WLV Next Generation initiative launched in November 2023 to engage younger farmers; and (4) advocacy and political representation on behalf of regional agricultural interests at state and federal levels. Internationally, WLV operates a development cooperation project in Uganda running from 2024 to 2028, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) at approximately 563,000 euros, marking its first disclosed cross-border engagement.

The business model is membership-fee-driven, with the organization monetizing through annual dues from its farmer and forester members, supplemented by project-based grants (such as BMZ funding) and any commercial revenue from member-benefit partnerships routed through DBVexklusiv. WLV does not sell technology products, license software, or generate fee-for-service advisory revenue; it operates as a classic sectoral association whose economic value to members is collective representation and access to discounted services rather than discrete product transactions. Strategic leadership rests with President Hubertus Beringmeier, who assumed the role in 2020.

Name

Westfälisch-Lippischer Landwirtschaftsverband

Legal name

Westfälisch-Lippischer Landwirtschaftsverband e.V.

Website

https://wlv.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1862

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Regional German agricultural trade association headquartered in Münster, representing over 90% of farmers and foresters in Westfalen-Lippe through 16 district offices, delivering advisory, advocacy, and educational services on a membership-fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Safety, Quality Standards & Regulatory Capacity Building (BPADAJAJ)

Keywords

• Agricultural association services
• Farm advisory services
• Agricultural policy advocacy
• Farmer membership services
• Rural development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Münster

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: WLV generates revenue through membership fees paid by farmers and foresters in Westfalen and Lippe. Members receive advisory services, member benefits including discounted gas rates, DBVexklusiv access, and representation in political and business matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WLV is a membership-based regional agricultural association (eingetragener Verein) that represents and serves farmers and foresters across Westfalen-Lippe. Its core activities include providing professional advisory services (agricultural law, social security law, labor law, tax, insurance, farm consulting, succession planning), distributing market information (AgrarInfo), advocating for agricultural interests vis-à-vis politics and authorities, and running member benefit programs such as discounted gas procurement.

Product overview

The Westfälisch-Lippischer Landwirtschaftsverband (WLV) is a regional agricultural association offering a portfolio of member services and public outreach programs rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include advisory services (legal, tax, insurance, farm consulting), agricultural market information (AgrarInfo), and youth networking (WLV Next Generation). Public engagement programs encompass educational initiatives like Lernort Bauernhof and Bauernhof-Botschafter (farm visits and school outreach), the annual Tag des offenen Hofes open farm day, the Landgeflüster podcast, and the Uganda development aid project. Additional member services include WhatsApp communication groups and the Rücksicht macht Wege breit road safety campaign. The organization operates through 16 branch offices across Westphalia-Lippe with a main headquarters in Münster.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WLV Next Generation: A network within WLV specifically targeting young farmers and farm operators, supporting their professional and personal development.
• WLV-Unternehmensverbund
• Landgeflüster
• LandInfo
• Lernort Bauernhof
• Tag des offenen Hofes
• Rücksicht macht Wege breit
• Bauernhof-Botschafter

Products and services

• Member Advisory Services Comprehensive advisory services for WLV members covering agricultural law, social security law, labor law, insurance optimization, tax consulting, operational farm consulting, mediation, wind energy consultation, farm succession planning, and real estate services.
• AgrarInfo Member-only information service providing market data, producer prices for grain and rapeseed, slaughter pig prices, egg and poultry prices, and agricultural policy updates, published as recurring AgrarInfo editions.
• WLV Next Generation A networking platform within WLV specifically for young farmers and farm operators under 35, supporting professional and personal development through peer exchange on current challenges, political topics, and innovative approaches in agriculture.
• Lernort Bauernhof Educational initiative that brings schoolchildren of all ages closer to agriculture through farm visits, field explorations, and digital farm tours, complemented by teacher training and support.
• Bauernhof-Botschafter School project where farmers and farm women visit classrooms to teach about nutrition and agriculture using themed suitcases, authentic stories, and hands-on activities. Expanded in 2025 to cover the western Münsterland region.
• LandInfo Digital offering for students, teachers, and educational staff providing information about agriculture and food origins.
• Tag des offenen Hofes Annual event where farms in Westfalen-Lippe open their doors to the public, allowing visitors to experience modern agriculture firsthand and interact with farmers.
• WLV Uganda Development Aid Project Development assistance project supporting smallholder farmers in Uganda's Nakasongola district, focusing on climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest procedures, and building central processing and marketing systems (current phase 2024–2028).
• Rücksicht macht Wege breit Road safety campaign promoting mutual consideration between farmers with heavy machinery and other road users on rural paths and farm roads, in cooperation with Landesverkehrswacht NRW and Provinzial-Versicherung.
• Landgeflüster Podcast A podcast for people who love the countryside, appreciate nature, and want to learn more about the origin of their food.
• Member WhatsApp Groups WhatsApp groups for member communication and dialogue within the association, with guidelines for respectful interaction, including specific channels for the Next Generation program.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Caritas KasanaensiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ugandan development aid partner in the WLV Uganda project. Caritas Kasanaensis is the local implementation partner for agricultural development programs in the Nakasongola district, approximately 120 km north of Kampala. The partnership focuses on improving livelihoods of small-scale farming families through climate-smart agriculture and cooperative marketing structures.
• Internationaler Ländlicher Entwicklungsdienst (ILD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024German rural development service based in Bad Honnef that coordinates the Uganda development project on the German side. ILD serves as the implementing organization for the WLV's international development efforts.
• Landesverkehrswacht NRWmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Traffic Safety Association of North Rhine-Westphalia partners with WLV on the 'Rücksicht macht Wege breit' campaign promoting mutual respect between farmers and other road users on rural paths.
• Provinzial-VersicherungmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance company partner in the 'Rücksicht macht Wege breit' traffic safety campaign for rural roads.
• information.medien.agrar e.V. (i.m.a)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural education provider that recognizes Borken as one of only two pilot regions in Germany for developing new concepts for farmer classroom visits. i.m.a supports the Bauernhof-Botschafter and Lernort Bauernhof educational programs.
• Stadt und Land in NRW e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRW's leading agricultural education provider and partner in the Bauernhof-Botschafter project. The organization provides educational resources and coordinates training for farmers visiting schools.
• Leader-Region Bocholter AaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLEADER region providing funding for the Bauernhof-Botschafter pilot project in the Borken district. The region encompasses municipalities of Velen, Borken, Rhede, Bocholt, and Isselburg.
• Bildungsbüros für die Kreise Borken und CoesfeldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational offices of the Borken and Coesfeld districts that support the Bauernhof-Botschafter school outreach program through networking and conference participation.
• Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational agricultural association to which WLV is affiliated. WLV provides DBVexklusiv services free to members, granting access to national-level information and resources.
• Landwirtschaftskammer Nordrhein-WestfalenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural chamber of North Rhine-Westphalia with which WLV collaborates on regional agricultural policy, advisory services, and initiatives like the project 'Rebhuhn retten – Vielfalt fördern'.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Schleswig-Holsteinischer Bauernverband: Regional farmers' association for Schleswig-Holstein, mirroring WLV's regional membership-based advocacy and advisory structure within a different German state. Directly comparable in mandate, governance, and service portfolio.
• Landesbauernverband Baden-Württemberg: The state farmers' association for Baden-Württemberg. Structurally analogous to WLV: voluntary membership, district-level chapters, political advocacy, advisory services for members, and affiliation with the national DBV umbrella.
• Landvolk Niedersachsen: Regional farmers' association serving Lower Saxony, an eastern neighbor of WLV. Operates the same membership/advocacy/advisory model across multiple Kreisverbände and is affiliated with the same national DBV, making it a directly comparable regional peer.
• Bayerischer Bauernverband: The Bavarian farmers' association — another large German state-level farmers' trade association with a multi-district structure, advocacy mandate, and member services portfolio closely mirroring WLV's activities in Westfalen-Lippe.
• Bauern- und Winzerverband Rheinland-Pfalz Süd: Regional farmers' and winegrowers' association in southern Rhineland-Palatinate. Operates the same voluntary-membership advocacy model as WLV across a multi-district footprint within one German federal state.
• Hessischer Bauernverband: The farmers' association for the German state of Hesse. Operates an analogous regional membership, advisory, and political advocacy model alongside DBV affiliation, comparable to WLV in structure and mandate.
• Rheinischer Landwirtschafts-Verband (RhLV): The corresponding regional farmers' association for the Rhineland half of North Rhine-Westphalia. RhLV is structurally identical to WLV — membership-based, advocacy-focused, advisory-driven, with its own Kreisverbände — making it the closest functional sibling peer.
• Landesbauernverband Brandenburg: Regional farmers' trade association for the state of Brandenburg in eastern Germany. Comparable regional trade association with membership dues, advocacy, and member service programs similar to WLV's portfolio.

Others

• Landwirtschaftskammer Nordrhein-Westfalen: The official agricultural chamber for North Rhine-Westphalia, a quasi-governmental body that collaborates with WLV on policy and projects like 'Rebhuhn retten'. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive, since chambers operate under statutory mandates while WLV is a voluntary membership organization.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV): National umbrella farmers' association to which WLV is affiliated as a regional member (WLV provides DBVexklusiv services to its members). DBV operates across all of Germany with political advocacy and policy influence, making it a broader, national-scope incumbent in the same membership representation space as WLV.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/wlvnextgeneration
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westf%C3%A4lisch-lippischer-landwirtschaftsverband

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Westfälisch-Lippischer Landwirtschaftsverband