4 Leading Companies Contributing to Food Security in 2026

Around 673 million people,  roughly 1 in 12 humans  faced hunger in 2024, and more than 2.3 billion struggled to get enough safe, nutritious food according to the 2025 SOFI Report.
At the same time, most of that food still comes from soil‑based agriculture, so the way we farm, process, and nourish crops and animals has an outsized impact on food security.

This article spotlights four global companies that play very different but complementary roles in strengthening food security:

• ICL Group – advanced fertilizers and ag‑tech that boost yields
• BASF – crop protection and climate‑smart farming tools
• Cargill – supply‑chain muscle and farmer livelihood programs
• DSM‑Firmenich – nutrition and animal‑protein sustainability

What we looked at (quick snapshot)

When talking about leaders that are making an impact in food security it’s easy to slip into vague praise. To keep things grounded, this comparison focuses on:

• Impact on food availability – Do they help grow more or better food?
• Support for farmers – Tools, training, and market access
• Resilience & sustainability – Climate‑smart, soil‑friendly, lower‑emission approaches
• Nutrition & quality – Not just more calories, but better diets
• Scale & partnerships – Ability to influence the wider food system

1. ICL Group: Feeding crops smarter, not just more

Best for: Crop nutrition and ag‑tech that directly raise yields Think of ICL as the nutritionist for your crops.

ICL Group is a global specialty minerals company with a big focus on fertilizers, plant nutrition, and ag‑tech. The company explicitly frames its work around the four pillars of food security – availability, access, utilization, and stability.

How ICL contributes to food security

• Advanced fertilizers that boost yields
  ICL develops controlled‑release and precision fertilizers that feed plants over time, improving nutrient uptake and crop output while reducing waste and runoff.
• Ag‑tech and fertigation for precision farming
  Through fertigation (fertilizer delivered via drip or micro‑sprinkler irrigation), farmers can target nutrients exactly where and when crops need them, which is key in water‑stressed regions and can stabilize yields year after year.
  
• Biostimulants and soil‑friendly solutions
  ICL’s biostimulant products aim to improve root growth, stress tolerance, and nutrient efficiency, which helps farmers maintain productivity even under heat, drought, or salinity pressure – all major threats to food security.
  
• Alignment with FAO’s “Four Betters”
  The company links its strategy to the FAO’s “Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, Better Life,” tying crop nutrition directly to healthier diets and ecosystems.
  

Bottom line:
ICL is most impactful right at the farm level, helping farmers grow more food per hectare with less waste. For any discussion of food security through better crop nutrition, they’re a central player.

2. BASF: Science‑driven tools for climate‑smart farming

Best for: Crop protection and climate‑smart agriculture at scale

BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division provides crop protection products, seeds, and digital technologies. The company connects its R&D pipeline directly to the challenge of feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050, when global productivity may need to rise by about 50%. How BASF contributes to food security

• Crop protection that defends yields
  BASF develops herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and seed treatments that protect crops from pests and disease, preventing massive yield losses and helping keep food supplies stable.
  
• Climate‑smart agriculture
  The company promotes “climate‑smart agriculture,” an approach that aims to raise food output, improve farmer incomes, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by tailoring practices and products to local conditions.
  
• Digital & precision tools
  Through digital platforms and farm‑level data, BASF helps farmers plan inputs more precisely, reduce waste, and protect biodiversity – all important for long‑term food system resilience.
  
• Long‑term innovation pipeline
  BASF has outlined a 10 year innovation roadmap focused on major crops (wheat, soy, corn, rice, cotton, fruits, vegetables) to support food security while minimizing farming’s environmental footprint.
  

Bottom line:
BASF’s strength is as a science engine for agriculture, helping safeguard yields and push farms toward smarter, lower‑carbon production – critical pieces of the food security puzzle.

3. Cargill: Keeping food moving from farm to table

Best for: Supply‑chain resilience and farmer livelihoods

Cargill operates across almost every link of the food chain: buying crops, processing them, shipping commodities, and supplying ingredients to food companies worldwide. That scale gives it a huge role in how well food moves from farm to fork.

How Cargill contributes to food security

• Tackling root causes of hunger
  Cargill frames its work around tackling the root causes of hunger – poverty, conflict, climate shocks, and price spikes – by supporting farmers, improving supply chains, and partnering with governments and NGOs.
  
• Boosting farmer livelihoods
  The company runs programs to help farmers improve productivity and profitability through training, sustainable practices, and better market access. Stronger farmer incomes mean more stable local food supplies.
• Building resilient food systems
  Cargill invests in infrastructure, logistics, and risk‑management tools to keep food moving during shocks (like extreme weather, market volatility, or conflict), which is essential for food availability and stability.
  
• Partnerships on sustainable agriculture
  Through partnerships and “resilient food systems” initiatives, Cargill supports regenerative practices that improve soil health and biodiversity while still feeding growing populations.
  

If farmers can’t win, people won’t eat” is how Cargill leadership often sums it up

Bottom line:
Cargill’s core contribution is systemwide: keeping food flowing, supporting millions of farmers, and pushing large‑scale supply chains to be more resilient and sustainable.

4. DSM‑Firmenich: Better nutrition and lower‑impact animal protein

Best for: Nutrition innovation and sustainable animal production

DSM‑Firmenich was formed by the merger of DSM and Firmenich, bringing together strengths in nutrition, health, and flavors. A major focus is making food systems healthier and more sustainable, especially through animal nutrition and food ingredients.

How DSM‑Firmenich contributes to food security

• Aligning with “Zero Hunger” goals
  The company’s “We Make It Possible” initiative targets ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition alongside sustainable agriculture – directly mirroring UN Sustainable Development Goal 2.
  
• Smarter animal nutrition
  DSM‑Firmenich’s Animal Nutrition & Health business works with farmers to improve feed efficiency, animal health, and welfare, which supports more reliable and lower‑impact production of meat, milk, eggs, and fish – key protein sources in many diets.
  
• Sustell™ and the Carbon Value Program
  The Sustell™ platform uses farm‑level data to measure and reduce the environmental footprint of animal protein. New programs, like the Sustell Carbon Value Program, help the agri‑food chain cut emissions and sometimes even earn financial benefits from reductions.
  
• Partnerships on sustainable feed
  A partnership with Allix (feed formulation software) combines Sustell™ with feed optimization to reduce the impact of animal feed itself – a big lever for climate and land‑use outcomes.
  

Bottom line:
DSM‑Firmenich operates at the nutrition and sustainability layer of food security, helping ensure the protein we do produce is both more efficient and less damaging to the planet.

Side‑by‑side: how these four support food security

These four don’t compete to solve the same piece of food security  they each hold a different part of the puzzle.

How to think about them, depending on your angle

• If you’re focused on farm productivity and soil health:
  Look hardest at ICL Group and BASF. They’re closest to the field, helping farmers grow more with fewer inputs and less environmental harm.
• If you care about resilience and access to food:
  Cargill is your case study for logistics, farmer livelihoods, and keeping supply chains running when shocks hit.
• If your angle is nutrition and the future of protein:
  DSM‑Firmenich shows how better feed, measurement tools, and ingredients can make diets both healthier and more sustainable.

Together, these companies show that food security isn’t a single product or program. It’s a connected system: inputs, farms, logistics, and nutrition all working together so fewer people go to bed hungry.