One of the criteria to enter the list is the companies' sustainable investments. In March 2024, SalMar presented the 'Salmon Living Lab' project, an initiative to promote partnerships throughout the salmon supply chain and build an innovation and R&D center in which it will invest USD 47 million.
Photo: SalMar.
Earlier this month, we reported that Hofseth would use this year's World Economic Forum to put seafood transport and waste on the Davos agenda, showcasing how changes in salmon processing and transportation can improve sustainability without compromising quality. But, in the end, the Norwegian seafood group was not the only salmon company to take center stage in that conversation. After being included in the 2026 'Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies' list by Corporate Knights, fellow Norwegian company SalMar and Faroese company Bakkafrost joined it in the spotlight on sustainability that takes place every year in the Swiss city.
Released each year during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Corporate Knights 'Global 100' is an annual ranking of the world's 100 most sustainable companies, assessing publicly traded companies with revenues above USD 1 billion and highlighting measurable performance linked to companies' products and services.
For the 2026 list, companies were assessed on three equally weighted metrics: sustainable investments, sustainable revenues, and the Sustainable Revenue Momentum Score, which tracks growth in sustainable revenues from 2022 to 2024.
"Focusing on what matters most and on what can be assessed most transparently have been core ranking principles over the more than two decades we've been doing this work," said Corporate Knights CEO Toby Heaps, commenting on the 2026 list. "This year, we've focused exclusively on what portion of each business is actually making the world more sustainable," he continued.
"We put particular emphasis on momentum and speed of improvement, given the growing urgency around not just carbon emissions, but the many ways in which business activity is outstripping our planet's carrying capacity," Heaps noted.
Under these updated criteria, is how SalMar, ranked 67th, and Bakkafrost, ranked 83rd, have not only made it onto the list—neither of them was ranked last year—but have also taken the top two spots in 'Food and beverage manufacturing'. Only 5 of the 100 companies ranked in 2026 belong to this category, and none of the other three belong to the seafood industry.
The other three food and beverage companies accompanying both salmon farmers on the list are McCormick & Company Inc. from the U.S, a world leader in flavors, seasonings, and spices, ranked 88th; Darling Ingredients Inc., also from the U.S., a world leader in circularity, dedicated to transforming materials from the materials from the animal agriculture and food industries into valuable ingredients, ranked 90th; and, finally, Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd., from Hong Kong, dedicated to the production of plant-based products, which ranks 96th.
The inclusion of SalMar and Bakkafrost further confirms the trend in the 2026 ranking, which, geographically, demonstrates the continued dominance of Western European companies, with 37 companies ranked, 15 of which were from the Nordic region.
Nevertheless, Corporate Knights also pointed out that, contrary to the perception that sustainability performance has lost priority, 20 companies from the United States made the list, up from 15 last year. For its part, Canada continued to exceed expectations with nine companies ranked.
Both SalMar and Bakkafrost have issued statements assessing and celebrating their inclusion in Corporate Knights' 2026 'Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies' list.
As mentioned above, SalMar ranks 67th in the global ranking and first in the 'Food and beverage manufacturing' category. "We are the highest-ranked Norwegian company and #1 globally within food & beverage production," SalMar wrote on a LinkedIn post assessing its inclusion in the list.
"The Global 100 assessment by Corporate Knights is based on measured performance across sustainable revenue, investments, and operational development. In 2026, more than 8,200 companies were evaluated – only the top performers qualified," the statement continued.
"For SalMar, sustainability is embedded in how we run our operations: biology, feed, technology choices, capital allocation, and continuous improvement in farming practices. The recognition reflects long-term, systematic work across the value chain," it added.
For its part, Bakkafrost ranks 83rd on the list and second in its category. "Inclusion in the 2026 'Global 100' reflects continued, organisation-wide work to strengthen sustainable performance across operations and the value chain," the company said in a statement.
"The list highlights sustainable performance and reflects Bakkafrost's strategy of ensuring that every part of the value chain meets the highest international standards for sustainability and transparency," the Faroese salmon producer continued.
And concluded: "Bakkafrost aims to use resources responsibly, minimise environmental impact, respect people, and create value for stakeholders and society."