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CADIZ INC

For the period ended Jun 18, 2026. Filed Apr 30, 2026.

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About this filing

What shareholders are asked to vote on at a company's meeting. It is where to find what directors and top executives are paid, and who owns the most shares.

Jun 18, 2026 · Filed Apr 30, 2026

CDZI$3.58+5.3%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant ☒

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Check the appropriate box:

☐Preliminary Proxy Statement
☐Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
☒Definitive Proxy Statement
☐Definitive Additional Materials
☐Soliciting Material under § 240.14a-12

CADIZINC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

☒No fee required.
☐Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
☐Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

__________________________________

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON JUNE 18, 2026

Dear Cadiz Inc. Stockholders:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2026 Annual Meeting”) of Cadiz, Inc., a Delaware corporation, will be held virtually on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Pacific Time, via the Internet athttps://www.cstproxy.com/cadiz/2026 to consider and act upon the following matters:

(1) The election of nine members of the Board of Directors, each to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors have been elected and qualified;

(2) The approval of an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock;

(3) Ratification of the selection by the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent certified public accountants for fiscal year 2026;

(4) The approval of a non-binding advisory resolution regarding the compensation of our named executive officers; and

(5) The transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting and any adjournments thereof.

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 22, 2026 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the 2026 Annual Meeting. In order to constitute a quorum for the conduct of business at the 2026 Annual Meeting, holders of a majority of all outstanding voting shares of our common stock and preferred stock must be present through virtual attendance or be represented by proxy. Holders of our common stock and our preferred stock will vote together as a single class on each proposal. Holders of our depositary shares representing interests in our Series A Preferred Stock currently have no voting rights.

To provide access for our stockholders regardless of their location, our 2026 Annual Meeting will be held virtually online. There will not be a physical location to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting in person. However, the virtual 2026 Annual Meeting will provide substantially the same opportunities to participate as you would have at an in-person meeting, including the ability to submit questions and vote your shares. Detailed instructions on how to vote and participate at the 2026 Annual Meeting may be found in the proxy statement and online athttps://www.cstproxy.com/cadiz/2026. To be able to access the virtual 2026 Annual Meeting, you must have your 12-digit control number. The control number is provided on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials you received in the mail, on your proxy card, or through your broker or other nominee if you hold your shares in “street name”.

Whether or not you expect to attend the virtual annual meeting, we encourage you to submit your proxy as soon as possible so that your shares will be represented at the meeting. Your proxy is revocable and will not affect your right to vote at the 2026 Annual Meeting if you chose to attend virtually.

If your brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization is the holder of record of your shares (i.e*.*, your shares are held in “street name”), you will receive a voting instruction form from the holder of record. You must provide voting instructions to your brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization by filling out the voting instruction form in order for your shares to be voted. We recommend that you instruct your broker or other nominee to vote your shares as promptly as possible.

If your shares are held in street name and you would like to attend the virtual annual meeting to vote your shares, you will need to contact your brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization to obtain a legal proxy. Once you have your legal proxy, contact Continental Stock Transfer to have a control number generated. Continental Stock Transfer’s contact information is as follows: 917-262-2373, or email proxy@continentalstock.com.

We are pleased to utilize the Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow us to furnish these proxy materials, including an electronic proxy card for the meeting and our 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders, which is our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, to stockholders via the internet. On or about May 8, 2026, we will mail to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access our proxy statement and 2025 Annual Report and how to vote. Utilizing these rules allows us to lower the cost of delivering annual meeting materials to our stockholders and reduce the environmental impact of printing and mailing these materials.

By Order of the Board of Directors

/s/ Stanley Speer

Stanley Speer

Secretary

Los Angeles, California

April 30, 2026

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be held on June 18, 2026. ** **

Our proxy statement and the 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders on Form 10-K are available athttps://www.cstproxy.com/cadiz/2026.

Annual Meeting of Stockholders

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
INFORMATION ABOUT SOLICITATION AND VOTING1
Record Date, Voting Securities and Quorum1
Revocability of Proxies2
Cost of Solicitation3
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THIS PROXY MATERIAL AND VOTING3
PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS6
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS8
Director Biographical Information and Highlights9
Executive Officer Biographical Information and Highlights18
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS19
Director Independence19
Independence of Committee Members20
Communications with the Board of Directors20
Attendance of Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting20
Meetings of the Board of Directors20
Committees of the Board of Directors20
Audit and Risk Committee20
Compensation Committee21
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee22
Equity, Sustainability and Environmental Justice Committee23
Board Skills & Experience24
CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS27
ANTI-BRIBERY AND ANTI-CORRUPTION POLICY27
WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY27
ANTI-HEDGING AND PLEDGING POLICY27
CLAWBACK AND FORFEITURE POLICY28
EQUITY GRANT POLICIES AND PRACTICIES28
SECURITIES TRADING POLICIES AND LIMITATIONS/INSIDER TRADING POLICIES28
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS29
Overview29
Compensation Philosophy30
Elements of Compensation31
Use of Peer Group32
Benchmarking32
Performance Objectives33
Elements of 2024 Compensation33
Severance and Change in Control Provisions34
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT34
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION34
Summary Compensation Table35
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End35
Pension Benefits36
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation36
EMPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS36
POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE OF CONTROL38
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION39
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION POLICY40
DIRECTOR STOCK OWNERSHIP POLICY40
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION40
PAY VERSUS PERFORMANCE41
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT44
DELINQUENT SECTION 16(A) REPORTS46
AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE REPORT46
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES47
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS48
PROPOSAL 2: APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES OF COMMON STOCK49
PROPOSAL 3: APPROVAL OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM52
PROPOSAL 4: ADVISORY VOTE ON COMPENSATION OF NAMES EXECUTIVE OFFICERS53
OTHER MATTERS54
STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS54
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION54

550 S. Hope Street, Suite 2850

Los Angeles, California 90071

PROXY STATEMENT

For

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON JUNE 18, 2026

ContentsView on SEC.gov

The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.