Institut für Nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung

The Institut für Nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung (INL) is a private German engineering and scientific services firm based in Halle (Saale). Founded in May 2009 as INL – Privates Institut für Nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung GmbH, it grew out of a group of young scientists at the Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg who wanted to bring their approach to assessing and analysing the ecological sustainability of agricultural production systems to a wider market. The spin-off was supported by an EXIST start-up grant from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. INL describes itself as an independent engineering office positioned between agriculture, environmental protection, trade, processors, science and politics. Its core competence is making ecological sustainability in agriculture measurable. The firm works on whole-farm sustainability certification, which analyses and comparatively evaluates farms across ecological, economic and social dimensions, as well as on product-level sustainability assessment along value chains. Over the years it has extended its focus from crop-farming operations to product assessments — for example wheat and baked goods — and to livestock, milk and meat, including CO2 footprints and animal-welfare topics. Its service lines include science and research assignments in the agricultural and environmental field, retail-facing review of products and producers for ecological sustainability, and consulting for farms that want to operate more sustainably, covering animal welfare, water protection and environmental protection. According to its own figures, INL has analysed and certified 490 farms, employs seven staff with more than 100 years of combined experience, works with five partners and cooperations, and has reviewed 26 products and supply chains for sustainability. The company is led by managing director Frank Reinicke, a graduate agricultural engineer (Dipl.-Ing. agr.), supported by a small scientific team covering nutrient management, crop production, livestock sustainability assessment, CO2 footprints for milk and meat, humus and nutrient cycles, soil monitoring, biodiversity, plant protection and evaluation of agri-environmental measures. INL is a private company, not listed on a stock exchange, and remains headquartered at Reilstr. 128 in Halle (Saale).

The Institut für Nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung (INL) began in 2008, when a handful of motivated young scientists at the Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg developed the idea of spinning off their own company to bring their approach to evaluating and analysing the ecological sustainability of agricultural production systems to the world. To realise this, they sought technical and financial support, which they found in an EXIST start-up grant from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. In 2009 the company was formally founded as INL – Privates Institut für Nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung GmbH. Its first major task soon followed: whole-farm sustainability certification, which allows agricultural operations to be analysed and comparatively assessed in the areas of ecology, economy and social matters. This was described by the company as a major milestone in the sustainability certification of crop-farming operations. In 2010, alongside whole-farm assessment, product-level sustainability increasingly came into focus. With the project "Sustainability management in the value chain for bread and baked goods of the Glocken Bäckerei Bergkirchen", the first large project was launched in which the assessment centred not on the farm but on the product — wheat. In 2011 the focus on product assessment grew further. The product assessment proved successful: INL GmbH took on sustainability management in the value chain for baked goods for Bahlsen GmbH & Co. KG, Hedwigsburger Okermühle GmbH and others, extending its sustainability assessment work into commercial food supply chains. Over the following years the institute broadened its scientific and consulting portfolio. Its team now covers nutrient management, crop production, livestock sustainability assessment, CO2 footprints for milk and meat, humus and nutrient cycles, soil monitoring, biodiversity, plant protection and the evaluation of agri-environmental measures. It also works with farm-analysis tools such as REPRO and cooperates with partners including Aeikens & Kraft GbR. By its own account, INL has accumulated 17 years of experience in environmental management in arable farming and livestock husbandry, has analysed and certified 490 farms, employs seven staff with more than 100 years of combined experience, maintains five partners and cooperations, and has reviewed 26 products and supply chains for sustainability. The company remains a private, independent engineering office headquartered at Reilstr. 128 in Halle (Saale), led by managing director Frank Reinicke.

• 2011

  Product assessment focus grows; INL takes on sustainability management in the baked goods value chain for Bahlsen GmbH & Co. KG, Hedwigsburger Okermühle GmbH and others.

• 2010

  First product assessment for wheat developed through the project "Sustainability management in the value chain for bread and baked goods of the Glocken Bäckerei Bergkirchen".

• 2009

  INL – Privates Institut für Nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung GmbH is founded in May 2009; first major task is whole-farm sustainability certification.

• 2008

  A group of young scientists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg develops the idea of spinning off a company; supported by an EXIST start-up grant from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Independent engineering office between agriculture, environmental protection, trade, processors, science and politics; neutral, scientific, competent, independent and innovative.

• Whole-farm sustainability certification

  Analysis and comparative assessment of agricultural operations across ecology, economy and social dimensions.

• Product-level sustainability assessment

  Assessment of individual products such as wheat and baked goods along the value chain.

• CO2 footprint for milk and meat

  Carbon footprint analysis for livestock products.

• Agricultural and environmental consulting

  Consulting on sustainable farm management, animal welfare, water protection and environmental protection.

• Soil and humus monitoring

  Monitoring of soil, humus and nutrient cycles.

• Biodiversity and agri-environmental measure evaluation

  Evaluation of biodiversity, plant protection and agri-environmental measures.

1. 1INLnachhaltige-landbewirtschaftung.de
2. 2Firmengeschichte – INLnachhaltige-landbewirtschaftung.de
3. 3Über uns – INLnachhaltige-landbewirtschaftung.de
4. 4Team – INLnachhaltige-landbewirtschaftung.de
5. 5Institut für Nachhaltige Landbewirtschaftung (Germany)wikidata.org