Food Security: Strengthening Agriculture Across the Value Chain

The Challenge: Two Critical Gaps in the Value Chain

Cultivation in Climate-Constrained Regions

In geographies with extreme climatic conditions (like outdoor temperature being as low as -20°C to -30°C in winter or regions experiencing heavy torrential rainfall) open-field cultivation is rendered unreliable for extended periods of 3-4 months, making agriculture not viable for nearly a quarter of the year. As a result, communities experience limited local food production, high dependence on external supply chains, and increased cost of food, all of which impact both livelihoods and food security.

The challenge in these regions is not about improving agricultural productivity, but about enabling cultivation itself under harsh environmental conditions.

Post-Harvest Losses Across Value Chain

Once crops, fish or non-food agricultural produce (like rubber, animal feed) are harvested, the absence of adequate infrastructure and proper techniques leads to significant post-harvest losses and economic inefficiencies. Exposure to heat and humidity causes rapid spoilage and food waste, while lack of storage forces farmers and fisherfolk to sell immediately – often at unfavorable prices. At the same time, limited access to affordable and farmer-friendly processing techniques and facilities restricts opportunities for value addition and improved income.

These challenges result in lost income, food waste, and reduced participation in higher-value markets.

Our Solutions: Addressing Both Ends of the Value Chain

Cultivation Solutions: Enabling Agriculture Where It Was Not Possible

Polycarbonate-Based Greenhouse Cultivation

In regions with extreme weather conditions, Covestro supports with polycarbonate greenhouse cultivation systems that create controlled growing environments.

These systems:

• Protect crops from extreme cold, wind, and external exposure through effective agricultural insulation
• Maintain favourable internal conditions – including optimal moisture levels and light transmission – for plant growth 
• Enable year-round or extended growing cycles, directly supporting climate resilient agriculture solutions 

In regions like Ladakh (India), polycarbonate greenhouses allow communities to grow fresh produce locally, reducing dependency on imports and improving food self-sufficiency.

Post-Harvest Solutions: Preserving Value After Harvest

To drive post-harvest loss reduction, Covestro supports a range of decentralized solutions that improve handling, storage, and transportation of agricultural produce, contributing to a more sustainable food value chain. 

Solar greenhouse dryers enable hygienic and weather-independent drying, significantly improving both quality and shelf life of produce. 

Complementing this, solar cold storage systems provide localized infrastructure that reduces spoilage and give farmers greater flexibility to decide when to sell their produce, rather than being forced by immediate deterioration.

For last-mile logistics, portable insulated boxes help maintain freshness during transport. These solutions are particularly critical in fisheries and other highly perishable value chains, ensuring crop preservation and product quality until it reaches the market.

Enabling Better Performance Through Material Application

Covestro’s role in this ecosystem is rooted in decades of expertise in high-performance materials and their real-world engineering applications, by integrating Polycarbonate (PC) and Polyurethane (PU) rigid foam into these solutions:

• Polycarbonate, known for their exceptional impact resistance, UV stability, and optical clarity, enable greenhouse and storage structures to withstand extreme weather conditions – from intense tropical heat to heavy rainfall – while maintaining the light transmission critical for plant growth.
• At the system level, lightweight yet structurally robust PU composite panels provide thermal efficient insulation, making it possible to design modular, easy-to-assemble solutions that can be transported and deployed in remote or off-grid rural areas – without the need for heavy machinery.  

Rather than developing standalone products, Covestro collaborates closely with solution partners, integrators and local stakeholders – particularly in developing countries – to ensure that material capabilities translate into tangible, measurable performance improvements at the user level. This partnership driven approach ensures that innovation is not only technically sound, but also practically accessible and economically viable for the communities it serves.

A Vision That Goes Beyond Business

By addressing both cultivation and post-harvest challenges, we are contributing to more resilient, inclusive, and efficient food systems – where communities are not only able to produce, but also fully benefit from what they grow.