Member of the month
Holle baby food AG: an innovative Swiss company with more than 90 years of experience
Nov 5, 2025
Holle baby food AG is a traditional Swiss company that has been a pioneer in organic and Demeter-quality baby food for over 90 years. With a wide range of products for babies and infants, Holle’s priorities are the highest quality, sustainable production processes and a holistic corporate philosophy.
Holle baby food AG has been synonymous with baby food that is “sustainable from the beginning” for over 90 years. The company develops and distributes a comprehensive range of products – from baby formula to porridge and jarred foods, as well as pouches, mueslis and snacks. As the first manufacturer of Demeter-quality baby food, Holle values biodynamic farming, fair partnerships and strict quality controls – from the raw material to the finished product. Headquartered in Riehen and with its products distributed in over 50 countries, the company combines Swiss roots with international reach. As part of its growth strategy, Holle is continuing to expand its international presence and, through the strategic partnership with MaserGrup, strengthening not only its global position but also its capacity for innovation – with the goal of developing new product ideas and sustainable solutions to feed babies and infants worldwide. Holle sees itself as a responsible partner for families and is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Questions for Angelo Ferrara, Managing Director of Holle baby food AG:
What role do exports play in Holle baby food AG’s business model?
We are an internationally active company and sell our organic baby and infant food in over 50 countries worldwide. Exports make up just over 80% of the company’s total turnover, coming mainly from sales in Europe, but also in more distant regions such as the Middle East, Korea and Australia. We have also been successfully represented in North and Central America for about four years. For an SME of our size, this international focus is a big challenge, but just like supplying organic and Demeter baby food, it is part of Holle’s DNA.
In which countries or regions is Holle currently experiencing the greatest growth?
In Europe, we are experiencing the most growth in Eastern European countries, but it’s happening in virtually all countries in the region. That means in the Baltic states, but also in Poland and especially in Southeast Europe, where the growth markets are Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania. Outside Europe, we are growing with our organic baby milk in South Korea, and with our organic baby milk based on goat’s milk in Saudi Arabia. We have a good distribution setup in both countries and are now expanding our product portfolio further.
Are there markets that you consider “future markets”, and why?
Although the current situation is very difficult and unpredictable, the US market remains a major and strategic future market for Holle. We are seeing strong demand for European products, especially baby formulas. We changed our business model for the US this year. As a result, we are no longer working with a distributor who imports and resells our products in the US, but now have our own subsidiary in the market. This allows us to be much closer to the market, both for retailers and consumers.
In addition to the markets already mentioned, the Americas will also become an important future market for us. Within our group of companies, we also have the opportunity to manufacture various product groups in Central and South America, making it easier for us to enter the market in this region.
Which criteria matter the most for you when you consider entering a new market?
We can certainly rely on criteria such as birth rate, population and prices – in other words, hard facts. For us, however, it is much more important to ascertain whether there is market demand for organic baby food, and, if so, the pricing environment we would find ourselves in. Holle serves a niche market within the baby food sector on an international level, as we currently only offer organic products. That’s why it’s important for us to find out whether there’s a market for these products at all.
To what extent do geopolitical developments and trade agreements influence your international business?
Trade agreements can make it easier to import into a country. However, baby food often has to be registered in the country and there are usually a number of regulations for baby food. Despite trade agreements, the process of registration is not getting any easier.
Geopolitical influences, at the moment obviously the US customs tariffs, are certainly having a negative impact on our business. On the one hand, our products are becoming more expensive in the US because we cannot bear all the costs ourselves, on the other hand, we are experiencing great difficulties in getting the goods into the country.
How do the expectations of consumers differ in Europe, Asia and North America?
Essentially, all consumers want high-quality baby food. In Europe, the topic of organic food is certainly much more advanced than in other regions – in some countries, the proportion of organic baby food is higher than general sales of organic foods.
In the US, consumers expect much more “functionality” from products. This is also advertised on the packaging itself, much more so than in Europe.
What role do topics such as organic certifications and sustainability labels play in purchasing decisions in your export markets?
In Europe, organic certification is an important part of the purchasing decision. In Germany, for example, many products on shelves in the baby aisle are already organic, so that’s where our Demeter products can stand out from the competition.
The topic of sustainability is much more prominent in the US than in Europe, including when it comes to labels and certifications.
Are there any country-specific trends that Holle takes into account during product development (e.g. vegetarian food in India, Clean Label in the US)?
We try as best we can to adapt the products and presentation to the market conditions. These might be country-specific trends, but it starts with the product and the packaging. Let’s take our baby milk formula as an example, which we have always sold in folded boxes with inner bags in the DACH region. For the French market, we have adapted to the formats that are common on the market and sell our products there in cans. This change has also allowed us to serve new channels.
Furthermore, our products are Clean Label certified for the US. Generally speaking, it is noticeable in the US that there are dozens of labels on the products, but the Clean Label Project is certainly one of the best known when it comes to baby food. This type of certification is practically a must in order to be successful in the US. In addition to the Clean Label logo, we have also slightly adapted our design, but without losing the Holle look and feel.
To what extent does your export strategy differ between developed markets and emerging markets?
We have not yet made a deliberate distinction between export strategies. We want to increase our sales and brand visibility in both developed markets and emerging markets. The means by which we achieve this objective may vary.
In terms of the business model, we have previously worked primarily with importers and distribution partners, who helped us to build the brand in the country. However in future, similar to in the US, we will operate much more directly in the markets and establish our own sales and marketing team. The distinction between developed markets and emerging markets will play a minor role here, but the main consideration will be where we see more potential in the market.
What role does digitalization/e-commerce play in international sales?
E-commerce plays an important role at Holle – and not just in relation to our own online shop. In the past, we focused strongly on bricks-and-mortar retail when we entered the market, but now we solely serve new markets online at first, and bricks-and-mortar retail only happens as a second step. In the process, we differentiate between products that have been manufactured in the country itself, i.e. products that are sold locally by an e-commerce partner, and cross-border e-commerce, which is very important.
Which markets will be most important for Holle in the next five to ten years?
Obviously, it will continue to be Switzerland, even if we find ourselves up against cut-throat competition there. I also believe that, despite all the current obstacles, we have successfully established ourselves in the US market and that this market will be of great importance to Holle in the next five to ten years.
Regardless of all possible growth outside Europe, the German market will continue to be of great importance for Holle, for the Holle brand and especially for the private label business.
Is Holle planning to establish international production sites in order to be closer to key export markets?
We are actually already in conversation with strategic partners to establish additional production sites outside Europe. The purpose of this is to serve markets that are relevant to us, such as the MENA region, from within the region itself. With the current customs situation in the US, we are also considering manufacturing certain products or product groups for the US market in the US.
How do you plan to further strengthen the Holle brand internationally without losing sight of its Swiss roots and tradition?
Alongside the organic credentials and Demeter quality already mentioned and our claim to be “sustainable from the beginning”, our Swiss origins and tradition are also key features of the Holle brand. We boast 90 years of experience – and this message needs to be communicated. In the different countries, we are able to express our tradition and Swiss origins to a greater or lesser extent and always try to adapt our communication to the respective market.
Your company has been a member of S-GE for ten years. What do you particularly appreciate about working with us and being a Gold member?
It is a collaboration on an equal footing and we have been able to implement a number of projects with S-GE in the last ten years. I am thinking, for example, of trips to Vietnam or Qatar, where S-GE helped us to arrange interesting and successful meetings with retail buyers. Without S-GE, these meetings would probably not have taken place.
S-GE was also on hand to help us enter the US market and supported us with the launch.
I appreciate the willingness of the S-GE team to stand up for the concerns of Swiss export companies and to look for prompt solutions.
