World's Top 10 Companies Own Everything You Eat

World‘s Top 10 Companies Own Everything You Eat

Amira Faisal

Every supermarket, hypermarket, and even tiny grocery store in the world carries a vast and seemingly limitless assortment of food items.

You will be surprised to hear that just ten major companies control the vast majority of the foods and beverages found in the aisles of both large and small stores, even though it seems like there is an endless variety of foods available. The bulk of the items we place in our shopping carts are produced and sold by these companies.

World's Top 10 Companies Own Everything You Eat

The top 25 businesses in the industry generated $1.8 trillion in revenue last year, demonstrating the extraordinary profits these dominant companies in the market have achieved. According to a recent Forbes report, the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestle, achieved sales exceeding $98 billion, driving the sector’s profits to over $160 billion.

According to a new study published by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), an organization dedicated to environmental justice, the dominance of a small number of large companies in the global food chain is growing, aided by the increased use of big data and artificial intelligence.

To understand the extent of these companies’ dominance and monopolization, only two of them control 40% of the global commercial seed market, compared to ten companies that held the same share 25 years ago, according to The Guardian.”

Food commodity prices have risen dramatically in the last two years as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war, other geopolitical disturbances around the world, and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in an astronomical increase in profits for these companies.”

Companies that control everything you eat

In this report, we will present a list of the top ten multinational corporations that dominate the global food industry, as well as their annual revenues in 2023, based on data from several specialized organizations and platforms. It’s worth noting that the ranking of these companies is not fixed; they interchange positions of dominance among themselves, while remaining the largest companies in the world.”

•Nestlé (Switzerland) – $104 billion

Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company, with annual revenues of around $103.9 billion in 2023, up 4.7% from 2022.

“The company’s headquarters are located in Switzerland. The company was founded in 1866 and now operates in 191 countries worldwide. Nestlé’s products include baby food, bottled water, cereals, chocolates, coffee, cooking supplies, dairy products, and pet care items. Nestlé invests heavily in R&D and has trademarked several technologies, including Nespresso, a well-known coffee machine brand.”

• PepsiCo (United States): $91 billion.

PepsiCo is the world’s second-largest food and beverage company, with revenue expected to reach $91.4 billion in 2023, a 5.8% increase over 2022.

The company’s headquarters are in the United States. The company was formed in 1965 by the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay and manufactures a wide range of food and beverage products including soft drinks, snacks, juices, sports drinks, and energy drinks. Its product line includes popular brands like Lay’s, Doritos, Tropicana, and others.

•Cargill Incorporated is a multinational private company headquartered in Minnesota, United States. Its main activities are trading, purchasing, and distributing grains and other agricultural commodities. In 2023, the company earned approximately $177 billion in revenue.

• Archer Daniels Midland (United States): $93.9 billion.

An American company that manufactures agricultural commodities, food ingredients, animal feed, and biofuels. The company’s product line includes well-known brands like Golden Temple, ADM, and Harvest Innovations. The company generated $93.94 billion in annual revenue in 2023.

•The Coca-Cola Company (United States)—$45 billion

The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, with projected annual revenue of $45.754 billion in 2023, up 6.39% from 2022.

The company’s headquarters are in the United States. The company was founded in 1886 and is best known for producing Coca-Cola, the world’s most popular soft drink. In addition to soft drinks, the company offers energy drinks, bottled water, tea, and coffee.

•Danone (France), $27 billion

Danone, a French food and beverage company founded in 1919, focuses on dairy products, bottled water, medical nutrition, and baby food. In addition to its flagship brand Danone, the company owns several other well-known brands, including Evian, Activia, Volvic, and Nutricia. The company’s consolidated sales in 2023 are expected to be around €27.6 billion.

•Olam Group (Singapore)—$48.4 billion

Its headquarters are in Singapore, and it is one of the world’s largest agricultural trading companies, supplying food ingredients, feed, and fibers to thousands of customers worldwide, including well-known global brands and family-run small businesses. In 2023, the company reported revenues of $35.97 billion.

AMIRA FAISAL, journalist , Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Morocco

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