abl

What abl does

AbL e.V. (Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft) is a German non-profit farmers' association founded in 1981 and registered in Hamm. It represents the interests of both conventional and organic farming operations in Germany and serves as an advocacy body in EU and federal agricultural policy. Its members include individual farmers as well as a dedicated young farmers' sub-structure (jAbL).

The organization's core activity is policy advocacy and coalition-building rather than commercial product delivery. It maintains the "Bauernstimme" publication as a member-facing communications channel, co-publishes position papers with peer associations (including BÖLW, Bioland, Demeter, Naturland, BDM), and participates in umbrella coalitions such as "Wir haben es satt!" and international networks including the European Milk Board (EMB) and La Via Campesina. Recent activity spans the EU NGT regulation, CAP reform post-2027, animal welfare labeling, and dairy supply chain pricing.

AbL is funded through membership fees, donations, and grants; it is governed by co-chairs (Bundesvorsitzende) Martin Schulz and Claudia Gerster with operational leadership from Bundesgeschäftsführer Bernd Schmitz and Xenia Brand. No revenue, headcount, or balance-sheet figures are disclosed in the available input, so the organization's financial scale cannot be triangulated with confidence beyond qualitative inference as a small advocacy NGO.

Name

abl

Legal name

Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft e.V.

Website

https://abl-ev.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AbL e.V. is a German non-profit farmers' association founded in 1981 that advocates for conventional and organic farming operations in EU and federal agricultural policy, funded by membership dues and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Advocacy

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural policy advocacy
• Farmer representation
• Peasant farming association
• GMO-free agriculture
• Dairy market policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AbL e.V. is a non-profit farmers' advocacy organization that represents conventional and organic farming operations in German and EU agricultural policy. It provides policy representation, publishes the Bauernstimme newspaper, develops position papers on agricultural policy topics, and operates the jAbL youth farmer program. Its core activity is lobbying for fair producer prices, GMO-free agriculture, animal welfare reform, and generational renewal in farming.

Product overview

AbL e.V. (Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft) is a German advocacy and membership organization representing farmers in agricultural policy discussions. The organization does not offer commercial products or services. Its offerings consist of advocacy work, publications, press releases, position papers on agricultural policy topics (including agricultural policy, animal husbandry, market and prices, GMO-free farming, climate, soil policy, young farmers, right to farmSaved seed, trade policy, and agroforestry), and public engagement activities. The organization focuses on policy advocacy rather than commercial product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bauernstimme: The organization's publication/magazine serving as a voice for farmers.

Products and services

• Bauernstimme (Farmer Voice Newspaper) AbL's member-facing publication and newspaper providing policy commentary, news, and farmer perspectives; available through the Bauernstimme website and promotional material ordering.
• jAbL (Youth Farmer Organization) AbL's youth farmer program providing targeted support, training, and representation for young farmers, apprentices, and students pursuing careers in agriculture.
• AbL-Mitgliedschaft (AbL Membership) Membership offering for farmers, gardeners, beekeepers, apprentices, students, and agricultural workers providing access to advocacy services, publications, and representation in agricultural policy.

Named customers4 records

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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• German Agricultural Youth AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Joint position paper with other German agricultural youth organizations calling for fixed budgets and targeted support for young farmers in the post-2027 CAP, demanding minimum 6% of CAP funds for generational change.
• BDL, BÖLW, Offenstall, Neuland and Netzwerk Sauenhaltung Schleswig-HolsteincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026Joint statement calling for funding of animal welfare through federal programs, criticizing the planned cuts to the Bundesprogramm Umbau Tierhaltung (BUT).
• MEG Milch Board, BDM, Freie Bauern, LsV DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026Joint Milch-Erklärung (Milk Declaration) from the Hardehausen Milk Conference 2026, calling for immediate activation of voluntary supply reduction at EU level.
• Farmers from Germany and FranceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Joint open letter to agricultural ministers of Germany and France opposing the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement.
• BUND, BÖLW, Albert-Schweitzer-Stiftung, Provieh, vzbv and GreenpeacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025Joint position paper on animal husbandry labeling, demanding that the mandatory state labeling of animal welfare conditions in Germany starts March 2026 as planned.
• European Milk Board (EMB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2025Joint positioning on Common Agricultural Policy reform, specifically supporting market policy measures to strengthen producers' position in the value chain.
• AbL, BDM, IGN, KLBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint position paper demanding strict regulation of New Genomic Techniques (NGT) and preservation of GMO-free production and the precautionary principle.
• Bioland, Biokreis, Demeter, Demeter Heumilch Bauern, MEG Milch Board & NaturlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2024Joint statement on organic milk prices calling for 70 cents milk payment for organic farmers, addressing the severe economic situation of organic dairy farms with costs at 70 cents/kg but receiving only under 60 cents.
• MEG Milch Board, LsV Deutschland, BDM, Freie BauerncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2024Verbändegemeinschaft (association of organizations) calling for effective implementation of Art. 148 GMO for contract obligation before delivery with concrete prices and quantities for 100% of milk volume.
• European Milk Board (EMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbL is a member organization of the European Milk Board, collaborating with milk producer organizations from 15+ European countries to advocate for fair dairy market policies and contract obligations before delivery.
• La Via CampesinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbL is the German member organization of La Via Campesina, the international peasant movement advocating for food sovereignty, agrarian reform, and peasants' rights globally.
• Wir haben es satt! CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbL participates in the Wir haben es satt! alliance, a coalition of approximately 60 organizations including farmers, consumers, and environmental groups advocating for agricultural reform.
• Agroecology in Action, European Milk Board, Fairtrade International, Forum Fairer Handel, IFOAM Organics Europe, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, OxfamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishing position on strengthening EU Directive on Unfair Trading Practices, recommending measures to support farmer income and fair trade relationships in food supply chains.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MEG Milch Board: German dairy farmer advocacy organization that jointly co-publishes positions with AbL on milk prices, GMO regulation, and CAP reform. Most direct peer in dairy policy advocacy and target member overlap.
• Bundesverband Deutscher Milchviehhalter (BDM): National dairy farmer federation and frequent joint-position partner on contract obligations, CAP reform, and EU market policy. Directly comparable in target members and policy scope.
• Freie Bauern: Independent German farmer association with overlapping positions on contract obligations before delivery, GMO-free, and animal welfare. Co-signatory on multiple joint statements with AbL.
• LsV Deutschland: German farmer advocacy organization active on EU-Mercosur, milk policy, and CAP; co-signatory on multiple AbL joint statements. Comparable in mobilizing farmer demonstrations.
• Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW): German umbrella for the organic food sector, frequently co-signing positions with AbL on animal welfare labeling and CAP reform. Comparable advocacy structure and target overlap.
• European Milk Board (EMB): European umbrella of milk producer organizations in 15+ countries; AbL is a member. Directly comparable in advocating contract obligations and crisis instruments at EU level.
• La Via Campesina: International peasant movement of which AbL is the German member. Comparable in mission, structure (membership-driven advocacy), and policy focus on food sovereignty and peasant rights.
• Naturland: German organic farming association; co-signatory with AbL on the 2024 statement demanding 70 cents/liter organic milk price. Comparable membership-driven advocacy targeting a partially overlapping farmer base.
• Bioland: Largest German organic farming association, frequently aligning with AbL on GMO-free, organic milk pricing, and CAP reform. Same advocacy category, overlapping farmer members.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV): The dominant mainstream German farmer association with significantly larger membership and resources. Operates in the same advocacy space but represents a broader, more industry-aligned constituency than AbL.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC86-erS8XPnJGN4rZaGVRjw
• Facebookfacebook.com/abl.deutschland
• Instagraminstagram.com/abl_ev_de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 abl