RIFCON GmbH

RIFCON GmbH is an independent scientific consultancy headquartered in Hirschberg, Germany, that supports the agrochemical and life-science industries with the registration and regulatory approval of crop protection products, biopesticides and biostimulants. According to its own corporate history, the company was founded in 2000 and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020 and its 25th anniversary in 2025. It describes itself as an independent scientific consulting firm with more than 25 years of experience and around 200 scientists, and it positions itself as a competent and reliable partner for companies seeking authorisation of their products and active substances. The firm's service portfolio is organised around two broad pillars. The first is agrosciences, covering regulatory affairs, dossier preparation and submission, and field studies. RIFCON has conducted field studies for almost 15 years in cooperation with government agencies and universities, including Brazil's Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA), the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Its field work spans banana plantations and sugar cane fields as well as studies with various bird and mammal species, eDNA studies and bioacoustics studies. The second pillar is environmental planning, biodiversity and sustainability, where RIFCON advises on nature and species conservation and on the development of sustainable corporate strategies, and provides permitting support, construction supervision and project management. RIFCON operates internationally. Its own website lists activities in more than 30 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, the United States, Canada, Japan, India, Indonesia, Australia and Zambia. The company has expanded its footprint through subsidiaries, notably the founding of RIFCON España S.L. in 2024. It has also broadened its scientific capabilities over time, building what it describes as Europe's largest team for effect modelling and statistics, and developing drone-based recording of registration-relevant data, reptile telemetry studies, pollinator population modelling and eDNA monitoring. RIFCON is privately held and is not listed on a stock exchange. It is led by its founders, Dr. Jan-Dieter Ludwigs and Klaus Nast, who are named as contacts on the company's agrosciences pages. The company has grown from a small consultancy into a group of roughly 190 to 200 employees, adding departments for sustainability and environmental planning in 2022 and integrating the Faunomics team in 2023. It is a member of the IBMA (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association) and runs the DeEP-Tool website. Its work sits at the intersection of regulatory science, ecology and sustainable agriculture, serving clients who need to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of their products to authorities around the world.

RIFCON GmbH was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Hirschberg, Germany. It began as an independent scientific consultancy focused on the assessment of crop protection products and biostimulants, and over the following two decades it expanded into field studies, effect modelling, environmental planning and biodiversity. The company marked its 20th anniversary in 2020, the same year it made its first IUCLID submissions and intensified its biopesticide projects. In 2018 RIFCON conducted further reptile telemetry studies in various field crops in Europe, and its public workshops in Hirschberg became SETAC-certified; a working group on TKTD modelling was also established. In 2019 the company developed studies using drone-based recording of registration-relevant data, including animal behaviour, soil cover in field crops and plant development. In 2021 it carried out its first soil-related field study to assess precision farming techniques and increased its focus on modelling pollinator populations within its effect modelling and statistics team. In 2022 RIFCON expanded its projects in sustainability and biodiversity and created a new department for sustainability and environmental planning, which also covers species conservation work the company had been doing for more than a decade. That year it became a member of the IBMA and launched the DeEP-Tool website. In 2023 the company reached 190 employees, welcomed the Faunomics team, and grew its effect modelling and statistics team to 10 people, which it describes as the largest of its kind in Europe; it also further expanded its environmental planning portfolio. In 2024 RIFCON founded RIFCON España S.L. and expanded its eDNA project portfolio with the aim of improving the monitoring of animal and plant groups and species. In 2025 the company celebrated its 25th anniversary together with employees and their families and continued to build out its eDNA and environmental planning areas. Throughout its history RIFCON has worked internationally, conducting field studies for almost 15 years in cooperation with government agencies and universities such as IBAMA, USP and UFSC in Brazil. Its website lists operations in more than 30 countries. The company remains privately held and is led by its founders, Dr. Jan-Dieter Ludwigs and Klaus Nast.

• 2025

  25th anniversary; further expansion of eDNA and environmental planning areas.

• 2024

  Founding of RIFCON España S.L.; expansion of the eDNA project portfolio.

• 2023

  Reaches 190 employees; welcomes the Faunomics team; effect modelling and statistics team grows to 10 people.

• 2022

  New department for sustainability and environmental planning; becomes a member of IBMA; launches the DeEP-Tool website.

• 2021

  First soil-related field study on precision farming techniques; increased focus on pollinator population modelling.

• 2020

  20th anniversary; first IUCLID submissions; intensified biopesticide projects.

• 2019

  Development of studies using drone-based recording of registration-relevant data.

• 2018

  Further reptile telemetry studies in European field crops; public workshops in Hirschberg become SETAC-certified; a TKTD working group is established.

• 2000

  RIFCON GmbH is founded.

Independent scientific consultancy for the regulatory approval of crop protection products and biostimulants, combining regulatory expertise with field studies, effect modelling and environmental planning.

• Regulatory affairs and dossier preparation

  Support for the authorisation of agrochemicals and biopesticides and the notification of biostimulants.

• Field studies

  Field studies in banana plantations and sugar cane fields, with birds and mammals, eDNA studies and bioacoustics studies.

• Effect modelling and statistics

  Team of 10 specialists, described as the largest of its kind in Europe, including pollinator population modelling.

• Environmental planning and species conservation

  Consulting on nature and species conservation, permitting support, construction supervision and project management.

• Sustainability consulting

  Development of sustainable corporate strategies and biodiversity measurement.

1. 1Unabhängige wissenschaftliche Beratung - RIFCON GmbHrifcon.com
2. 2Unsere Leistungen im Bereich Agrosciences – RIFCON GmbHrifcon.com
3. 3Unsere Unternehmensgeschichte - RIFCON GmbHrifcon.com
4. 4RIFCON GmbH (Germany) - Wikidatawikidata.org