ADAMA

What ADAMA does

ADAMA Ltd. is a global agrochemical company headquartered in Israel that develops, manufactures, and distributes crop protection products — primarily herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides — to agricultural producers worldwide. The company traces its origins to Makhteshim Chemical Works, founded in 1945, and now operates as a subsidiary of Syngenta Group (itself majority-owned by ChemChina). ADAMA's proprietary technology platform centers on differentiated formulation chemistries, headlined by the Marathon® Pyrasulfotole-based herbicide (incorporating high-load formulation technology with a built-in Mefenpyr-diethyl safener for crop tolerance) and the Gilboa® (Flumetylsulforim) fungicide active ingredient developed to address growing resistance and regulatory phase-outs in European cereals. The company holds nearly 350 product approvals globally and pursues geographic expansion through both direct distribution (Australia, North America, Latin America including Brazil) and strategic channel partnerships (BASF for European cereal fungicide commercialization; Savannah Seeds for Indian rice market access).

The business model is product-led with a hybrid channel structure. ADAMA generates revenue through direct sales of crop protection formulations to cereal growers and other agricultural customers, supplemented by co-development and commercialization agreements with major agrochemical partners that provide broader market access than a wholly direct salesforce would yield. Key customer segments include Australian, Canadian, and U.S. cereal growers (broadleaf weed control), European cereal farmers (resistance management), and Indian rice farmers (yield improvement). FY2025 disclosed revenue of $4,051M represented a 2% YoY decline, while adjusted EBITDA rose 25% YoY to $587M and adjusted net income turned positive at $28M versus a $206M loss in 2024, reflecting the company's 'Fight Forward' operational efficiency and working capital transformation plan. ADAMA also holds a minority stake in LycoRed Ltd., a beta carotene and nutritional ingredients business.

Note: The firmographic fields in the source data describe an Argentine entity named 'Adama S.A.' (food and beverage ingredients, 11–50 employees, General Rodriguez). This is a separate company from ADAMA Ltd. (the Israeli agrochemical subsidiary of Syngenta Group). The structured analytical data, financial figures, partnerships, products, and strategic activity in this dataset overwhelmingly concern ADAMA Ltd., and that is the entity analyzed here.

Name

ADAMA

Legal name

ADAMA Ltd.

Website

https://adamasa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ADAMA Ltd. is a global agrochemical company that develops, manufactures, and distributes crop protection herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides — including the Marathon® and Gilboa® brands — to cereal growers and other agricultural producers worldwide, operating as a subsidiary of Syngenta Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Ingredients

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Food-Grade Additives & Functional Ingredients Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAI)

Keywords

• Food ingredients
• Preservatives additives
• Acidifiers suppliers
• Food emulsifiers
• Hydrocolloid stabilizers

Headquarters

HQ city

General Rodriguez

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Crop Protection Products: ADAMA generates revenue primarily through the development, manufacturing, and sale of crop protection products including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides to agricultural customers globally.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Adama S.A. manufactures and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of food ingredients and additives including acidifiers, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, enzymes, powdered fats, fibers, fortifiers, phosphates, hydrocolloids, and proteins for the food and beverage industry. The company serves beverage, meat, confectionery, dairy, bakery, and industrial food processing customers across Argentina and the broader region from its 12,000 m² production facility in General Rodriguez, Buenos Aires, complemented by imported specialty ingredients from international partners.

Product overview

ADAMA comprises two distinct entities: (1) ADAMA Ltd. - a global agrochemical company developing and manufacturing crop protection products including herbicides and fungicides, with flagship products like Marathon® herbicide (Pyrasulfotole-based) and Gilboa® fungicide (co-developed with BASF), serving agricultural markets globally. (2) Adama S.A. (adamasa.com) - an Argentine food ingredients company offering a comprehensive portfolio of additives for the food industry, organized into product categories including acidifiers (citric, lactic, acetic acids), preservatives (benzoates, sorbates, propionates), sweeteners (sucralose, saccharin, Acesulfame K), emulsifiers, enzymes, powdered fats, fibers, fortifiers, phosphates, hydrocolloids, and proteins, serving markets including beverages, meat products, confectionery, dairy, bakery, and industrial applications across Argentina and the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Ingredients Portfolio Comprehensive range of food ingredients and additives organized into product sub-categories (acidifiers, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers, enzymes, powdered fats, fibers, fortifiers, phosphates, hydrocolloids, proteins) for beverage, meat, confectionery, dairy, bakery, and industrial food processing customers.
• Acidifiers Acidifying agents including acetic acid, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), benzoic acid, citric acid, formic acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, propionic acid, and sorbic acid for food processing applications.
• Preservatives Antifungal and antimicrobial preservatives including sodium benzoate, sodium erithorbate, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, calcium propionate, sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, and salt substitute (PuraQ Arome) for extending food shelf life.
• Sweeteners Artificial sweeteners including Acesulfame K, sodium cyclamate, sodium saccharin, and sucralose for food and beverage applications.
• Emulsifiers Emulsifying agents including Espongel gel emulsifier, stearoyl lactylate, and glyceryl monostearate for food formulations.
• Enzymes Industrial enzymes including amylases, maltogenic amylases, cellulases, glucose oxidases, lipases, proteases, transglutaminases, and xylanases for food processing applications.
• Powdered Fats Powdered fat products including whipping agents, coffee whiteners, and fatty concentrates (FATTIC) for food applications.
• Fibers Dietary fibers including citrus fiber and potato fiber for food fortification and formulation.
• Fortifiers Nutritional fortifiers including calcium acetate, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, zinc gluconate, ammonium lactate, calcium lactate, and magnesium lactate for food enrichment.
• Phosphates Phosphate compounds including diamonic phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, monomagnesium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, monosodium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, acidic sodium pyrophosphate, neutral potassium pyrophosphate, neutral sodium pyrophosphate, and sodium tripolyphosphate for food processing.
• Hydrocolloids Hydrocolloid stabilizers including carrageenan, citrus pectin, modified potato starch, native potato starch, gum arabic, guar gum, and xanthan gum for food texture and stability.
• Proteins Protein ingredients including cheese whey protein and potato protein for food applications.
• Other Ingredients Additional food ingredients including ammonium acetate, calcium acetate monohydrate, potassium acetate powder, sodium acetate trihydrate, antifoam WAS, BHT in oil solution, sodium bicarbonate, butyl hydroxytoluene BHT, monosodium glutamate, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, and baking powder.

Quantifiable outcome

• Adjusted EBITDA improved 25% for full year 2025 to $587 million
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BASF Agricultural SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026BASF and ADAMA signed a strategic co-development and commercialisation agreement to expand access to ADAMA's proprietary fungicide active ingredient, Gilboa (flumetylsulforim), for European cereal growers. The partnership combines ADAMA's innovation expertise with BASF's development capabilities and market access, with plans to launch Gilboa-based formulations for wheat in Great Britain in 2027, followed by broader European launches in 2029. The collaboration aims to help farmers combat growing resistance issues as Europe faces increasing regulatory pressure and phase-outs of existing active ingredients.
• Savannah SeedsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Savannah Seeds partnered with ADAMA India to improve rice yields by 25-40% through access to ADAMA's agricultural solutions and expertise, targeting the Indian rice market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Corbion: Corbion is a Dutch global leader in lactic acid solutions, preservatives, and food ingredients. It is directly relevant because it is both one of Adama S.A.'s represented principals and a competing ingredient supplier in the same preservatives and acidifiers categories that Adama distributes.
• Avebe: Avebe is a Dutch cooperative specializing in potato-based starches and proteins for food applications. It is a represented principal of Adama S.A. and operates in the same starch, protein, and hydrocolloid categories that Adama distributes into the Argentine food market.
• CEAMSA: CEAMSA is a Spanish manufacturer of alginates and specialty hydrocolloids for food applications. It is directly comparable because it is one of Adama S.A.'s represented principals and a competing supplier of texture and stabilization ingredients to food manufacturers in Latin America.
• AB Enzymes: AB Enzymes is a German industrial-enzymes producer for baking, brewing, and food processing. It is directly comparable as one of Adama S.A.'s represented principals and a competing supplier in the enzymes category that Adama distributes in Argentina.

Broad incumbents

• Brenntag: Brenntag is the world's largest chemical and food ingredient distributor with significant Latin American operations. It is broadly comparable because it operates a much larger-scale food ingredient distribution business in the same region and customer base as Adama S.A.
• Univar Solutions: Univar Solutions is a major North American and European food ingredient distributor. It is comparable as a broad incumbent food-ingredient distributor with similar product breadth and similar supplier-representation model, though at significantly greater scale than Adama S.A.
• Ingredion: Ingredion is a leading global ingredient solutions provider specializing in starches, sweeteners, and texturizers for the food industry. It is comparable because its core categories (starches, sweeteners, hydrocolloids) overlap directly with much of Adama S.A.'s distribution catalog.
• Tate & Lyle: Tate & Lyle is a UK-headquartered global food ingredient supplier specializing in sweeteners, texturants, and fortification ingredients. It is broadly comparable as a multinational supplier whose product categories (sweeteners, fibers, fortifiers) overlap with Adama S.A.'s portfolio.
• Kerry Group: Kerry Group is an Ireland-based global taste and nutrition company serving food and beverage manufacturers with flavors, functional ingredients, and systems. It is broadly comparable because its functional food ingredient portfolio and customer base overlap with Adama S.A.'s meat, dairy, bakery, and beverage segments.
• IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances): IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, enzymes, and food ingredients following its merger with DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences. It is broadly comparable as a broad incumbent whose emulsifiers, enzymes, and food ingredient systems overlap with categories that Adama S.A. distributes and applies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adama-sa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ADAMA