Biodegradable Mulch Films Market Size & Share Analysis - Trends, Drivers, Competitive Landscape, and Forecasts (2025 - 2032)

Biodegradable Mulch Films Market Trends and Growth Drivers

Growing Awareness regarding Harmful Effects of Inorganic Mulching Is Key Trend

• Mulching done with the use of inorganic materials, such as black polyethylene causes increased environmental hazards and human health risks globally, thereby driving the market for biodegradable mulch films.
• The production of inorganic mulching materials uses plastics derived from petroleum, typically polyethylene, which causes a problem with mulching waste management.
• They also harm the environment and cannot be composted.
• As per researchers, the problem of terrestrial plastic pollution is over 20 times more severe than marine plastic pollution.
• Further, according to estimates, inorganic mulching contributes to the production of 0.4–0.6 million tons of plastic trash annually in the European Union.
• Moreover, the depletion of the plastic waste takes about 16 hours per hectare with the use of machines and still requires manpower.
• However, the waste which is produced by organic mulching or biodegradable mulching should not be disposed just as the one produced by inorganic mulching.
• Waste from biodegradable mulching is converted into methane, carbon dioxide, water, or biomass, thus benefiting the soil used for agriculture and causing no damage to environment.
• This is because components for biodegradable mulch films are derived from organic substances, such as plants and animals.
• Starch is widely used as a raw material for biodegradable mulch film s owing to the unavailability of conventional film-forming resins.
• Starch-based biodegradable mulch film is expected to register significant growth, as they are less expensive compared to other raw materials, and are also abundantly available.
• Moreover, benefits such as weed control, maintenance of soil structure, and prevention of crops from soil contamination offered by starch-based biodegradable mulch film are highly appreciated by end users.
• Moreover, farmers have shifted their focus towards the adoption of starch as a raw material, as usage of inorganic mulch film leads to increased environmental concerns.

Booming Food Demand due to Rising Population Drives Market

• The biggest driver for the market is the growing demand for food due to the continuous increase in global population.
• According to the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the global population was 8.2 billion in 2024, and it is expected to reach nearly 10.3 billion by the mid-2080s.
• This is expected to drive the demand for food crops, horticulture crops, and cash crops at a high rate in the coming years. However, with the increasing usage of chemical fertilizers, biocides, and synthetic macro and micronutrients, apart from unfavorable weather, a high amount of agricultural waste is registered around the world.
• As per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), almost a third of the food produced in the country is lost before reaching consumers.
• Moreover, due to the increasing number of farms with reducing area, farmers are under pressure to maximize productivity.
• Therefore, mulching has been practiced for ages to protect the soil and check the loss of moisture due to evaporation under the sun.
• Another key purpose of applying mulch films to the soil is to limit the growth of weeds and check the residual effects of conventional agrochemicals.

High Cost Restrains Market Growth

• Despite multiple benefits offered by biodegradable mulching technique, the market growth is restricted owing to the high installation cost of these film.
• Moreover, growth of the population has led to the decrease in the average landholding per farmer, affecting the purchasing power of farmers and restricting the market for biodegradable mulch film.
• As per estimates, biodegradable mulch films cost up to twice as much as conventional films.
• Several surveys suggest that though farmers want to purchase biodegradable mulch films, the high costs deter most from doing so.
• This is especially true in developing countries, where most of the farms are small and offer low earnings.

Biodegradable Mulch Films Market Analysis

Starch had the largest market share, of 60% in 2024. Starch has been the largest raw material till now, due to its several benefits, such as low cost, compatibility with different soil types, and environmental sustainability. Owing to such benefits, the use of starch-based mulch film is growing among end users across the globe. Starch is employed as a viscosifier, emulsifier, defoaming agent, encapsulant, and sizing agent in a variety of industrial applications. Starches are prized for their ability to impart textural properties as well as providing gelling or film formation.

Starch-based film is expected to register significant growth, as they are less expensive compared to other raw materials, and are also abundantly available.

Moreover, thermoplastic starch (TPS) is environment friendly which can be used as an organic fertilizer. To some extent, the accumulation of plastic materials might contribute to environmental pollution. Although, most old plastics are resistant to microbial attack, the pollution caused by them is primarily aesthetic. As a result, there is growing interest in the creation of biodegradable polymers, produced from renewable natural resources. Many basic and advanced studies, which term starch as an inexpensive and abundant natural polymer are now being done. The research and production of biodegradable TPS is important in reducing total synthetic plastic waste.

PHA is the fastest-growing category because it is insoluble in water and relatively resistant to hydrolytic breakdown with good UV protection. PHA is also appropriate for medical purposes as chloroform and other chlorinated hydrocarbons are soluble in it and it is biocompatible and nontoxic. PHAs are also unique in that, they are both bio-based and biodegradable. "Bio-based" is a fairly broad term that simply signifies a material was derived entirely or partially from an organic (typically plant-based) source. Bio-based plastics are very different from more frequent petroleum-based polymers.

These raw materials are covered:

• Starch (Largest and Fastest-Growing Category)
• Polylactic Acid (PLA)
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)
• Others

Crop Type Analysis

The fruits & vegetables category dominates the market, and it also has the highest CAGR, of 10%, in the forecast period. The demand for biodegradable mulching for fruit & vegetables is growing, owing to its low life time cost and ban on inorganic mulching materials in many countries. Globally, almost 2,500 square miles of agricultural land is used for mulching of fruits & vegetables. Around 99% of the mulching of fruits & vegetables is conducted by using polyethylene mulch. Polyethylene mulch is spread as a protective layer on top of the soil in crop production, as it offers benefits such as, soil conservation, decreases soil erosion, and maintains soil temperature. The mulching of fruits and vegetables also aids faster crop growth, weed control, better moisture retention, minimized fertilizer leaching, and improved crop quality.

These crop types are covered:

• Fruit & Vegetables (Largest and Fastest-Growing Category)
• Grains & Oilseeds
• Flowers & Plants
• Others

Biodegradable Mulch Films Market Geographical Outlook

APAC held the largest revenue share, of 40%, in 2024, and it will grow the fastest, with 11% CAGR, as its growing population drives the demand for crop production. Moreover, the rise in population would lead to reduction of agricultural land, thereby compelling the farmers to produce more in the same agricultural landholding.

The increase in population in countries of the region has given rise to increased requirement for food; thus, farmers have adopted the use of biodegradable mulching technique, owing to the adverse effects of inorganic mulching on the environment. The use of these film also enhances crop yield, thereby making itself the first preference of farmers for mulching in the region. Manufacturers like BASF SE are investing in China due to increased demand from APAC.

Moreover, farmers were forced to produce more on the same land due to expanding population and dwindling agricultural land as a result of industrialization and urbanization.

Moreover, Supportive government regulations for organic mulching across the globe is one of the major factors driving the market. As per the degradation standards to compost (ISO 17088, ASTM D6400), 90% of the carbon, which is organic, is required to be converted CO2, limiting the acceptance of inorganic mulching technique.

Moreover, Europe held the second largest share in the market. In Europe, 95% inorganic mulching includes the use of fossil-based and non-biodegradable materials that are mostly manufactured outside Europe. Benefits offered by biodegradable mulching technique has encouraged farmers to use this technique for crop production. Governments of France and Italy have formulated regulations regarding the use of biodegradable mulch films. Moreover, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) is also working on developing a European standard regarding the use of these films. Furthermore, European Fertilizers Regulation and European Bioplastics recommend, including biodegradable mulch films as a soil improver for farmers.

Moreover, the market for biodegradable mulch film in LAMEA is relatively new as compared to other regions. Farmers have been widely using inorganic mulching materials for crop production in the region. However, unfavorable effects of these materials on the environment have led to high adoption of mulching technique from biodegradable resources.

The regions and countries analyzed for this report include:

• North America
  • U.S. (Larger and Faster-Growing Country Market)
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany (Largest and Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • U.K.
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific (APAC) (Largest and Fastest-Growing Regional Market)
  • China (Largest Country Market)
  • Japan
  • India (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Rest of APAC
• Latin America (LATAM)
  • Brazil (Largest and Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Mexico
  • Rest of LATAM
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)
  • Saudi Arabia (Largest Country Market)
  • South Africa
  • U.A.E. (Fastest-Growing Country Market)
  • Rest of MEA

Biodegradable Mulch Films Market Share

• The market is severely fragmented as it is not difficult to produce these films or any kind of material or chemical for agriculture, in general.
• This is why a huge number of global and local companies operate in the market, catering to farms of varying sizes.
• Additionally, most farmers in developing countries have small lands and make less money, which is why they choose the cheap films offered by local companies.
• Further, the availability of these films in numerous materials fragments the market as companies do not necessarily offer all variants.

Biodegradable Mulch Films Market News

• In November 2024, researchers from the Lehigh University received a grant worth USD 744,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop biodegradable mulch films.
• In April 2023, BASF SE announced plans to set up a factory in Shanghai, China, to produce its ecovio biopolymer. Made from renewable materials and PBAT ecoflex, the compostable biopolymer finds application in waste bags, fruit & vegetable bags, cling film, food packaging, and agricultural mulch films.
• In May 2022, researchers at the University of British Columbia announced that they are working on creating a new biofilm from wood fiber and kelp for agricultural mulching.