[3][4][5] The company was established in 1905 as Norsk Hydro — the world's first producer of mineral nitrogen fertilizers — and de-merged as Yara International ASA on 25 March 2004.

With access to a competitive source of gas and a strategic location in the Middle East, the joint venture opened up a global market for the company.

The late 1970s to the mid-1980s was a period of rapid growth, through the acquisition of major fertilizer companies in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange on 25 March 2004 and is a leading producer of ammonia, nitrates, nitrogen products, and NPK specialty fertilizers.

[17] Since then, Yara has continued to expand its global presence through investments in other countries, with many acquisitions, joint ventures, and new projects, primarily in Africa and North and South America.

This acquisition gave Yara more than 99% of the voting stock in Fertibras[18] and 15% of Fosfertil, the largest producer in Brazil of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers.

The company has many exciting opportunities to pursue, for instance when it comes to the environment, where we contribute to better balance in agricultural development and deliver some interesting industrial solutions to environmental problems.

[8] Svein Richard Brandtzaeg ten days earlier had decided not to leave Hydro to take over the helm of Yara,[20] after contract negotiations were leaked and charges were laid against Enger, the prior CEO.

Also in separate proceedings, her husband is alleged to have taken more than $150 million from entities associated with the fertiliser plant and to have spent the money on private planes and other luxury goods.

[24][25] In March 2011 the Dutch government froze about €3 billion in Libyan assets, including Yara's Sluiskil joint venture, half-owned by the LIA and the NOCL[26] On 3 August 2011, Yara announced that it was selling its share in its Russian Rossosh NPK plant for $390 million US, or 2.1 billion kroner (NOK).

The head of the upstream segment, Tor Halba, had warned of possible corrupt practices in a 2008 internal email.

[34] On 10 January 2014, the Norwegian Cabinet approved the indictment of former deputy CEO Daniel Clauw in connection with Norway's investigation of Yara.

[37] Yara International announced in September 2014 that it was in talks with CF Industries about a possible merger of equals, a deal worth over $27 billion.

[42] In connection with the protests in Belarus in 2020, the opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called Yara International to stop working with Belarusian state-owned company Belaruskali or to ensure that they respect workers' rights.

[63] As of 2017 Yara was one of the world’s biggest producers of synthetic fertilizers and largest industrial buyer of natural gas.