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A cornfield in the sunshine.

More food, fewer resources

SDG Soil Protection Nutrition
Biostimulants help these plants grow just as well with less synthetic fertilizer.
Reading Time 3 min
March 02, 2026

The world’s population is expected to continue growing in the coming decades. At the same time, the United Nations aims to combat global hunger. Therefore, solutions are needed that can feed more people while using fewer resources.

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By > Evonik

Nitrogen from the air

Evonik’s biostimulants are sprayed onto the upper leaf surface. From there, they reach the underside, where small openings called stomata are located. Through these, nitrogen-fixing microorganisms enter the leaf, where they act as natural nutrient providers.

Graphic about the storage of atmospheric nitrogen in a plant leaf.
Understood mode of action: Nitrogen fixation in the leaf.

At the 2015 Sustainable Development Summit, the United Nations defined the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Evonik contributes to supporting sustainable development in many different ways. We present them here.

in 2024, around 673 million people, which is around 8.2 percent of the world’s population, were suffering from hunger. The United Nations wants to end hunger, achieve food security, and improve nutrition. The promotion of sustainable agriculture is also on the agenda.

Evonik is carrying out research into biostimulants so that crops can be grown in a more environmentally compatible way in the future. In combination with bio-based additives, these natural bacteria help plants such as corn absorb nitrogen from the air and make it usable for their growth. This could significantly reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers—while yields would remain the same. Another microbial solution goes into action before germination. It protects crop seeds from fungal infestation and is therefore an effective and sustainable alternative to chemical fungicides.

Logo: SDG2 - Zero Hunger
Close-up of a maize leaf. The fibrous structures are very clearly visible.
The husks of the corn plant protect the cob from harmful environmental influences. Climate change is putting such natural defense systems under increasing pressure. This makes it all the more important to specifically strengthen the resistance of crops to stress factors such as heat or drought. Biostimulants with microbes that have adapted to extreme environmental conditions help to do this.

Biostimulants

Plants need nutrients such as nitrogen in order to grow. To meet this essential need, farmers today use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers-with consequences for the environment and climate. Evonik is researching an alternative: microbial biostimulants that supply plants with nitrogen and thus promote their growth.
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