The German Nut Council (AKE) was founded in 1977 under the chairmanship of Werner Hahne and initially had nine members. The AKE's primary goal was to promote and improve the reputation of the peanut. At the time, the peanut rarely made an appearance in the media. At best, reports about harmful chemicals created uproar. German and Dutch peanut importers and producers needed, as well, a trade forum which at the same time would act as a contact partner for foreign countries.

Today, the AKE or German Nut Council is an international contact. The AKE has been represented every year at the International Peanut Forum (IPF), which will take place in the future within the framework of SNACKEX, and confers with experts from all over the world. The AKE exchanges information and ideas with the American Peanut Council (APC), the British Peanut Council, the European Snack Association (ESA) in London, the Dutch Peanut Processors' Association, the Camara Argentina de Seleccionadores del Man’ and organizations in other peanut-growing countries, as well. It facilitates contacts, organizes information trips in various peanut-growing countries (e.g. the United States, Argentina, South Africa and China) and is intensively involved in public relations work. The AKE has thereby succeeded in improving the peanut's public image. And it has done so by exploiting all the media at its disposal: the press, radio and TV. The AKE is, furthermore, a source of information for consumers, university students, grade-schoolers and scientists who want to know more about the peanut.

Together with the Healthy Nut Initiative (HNI 1998), the AKE has worked to define significant maximum levels of Aflatoxin. The AKE's current goal is to focus PR on peanut allergies. For this purpose, the peanut partnership was founded in 1999. Money is paid through this partnership into an allergy fund, out of which media measures, research support and consumer information are funded.

The AKE represents the interests of companies involved with the import, production and sale of peanuts, pistachios and cashews, as well as nut snacks.