CR Beer’s innovations across the value chainCase study 7 Listed in Hong Kong, CR Beer is a leading Chinese beer company that commands about 30% of the Chinese beer market. In 2023, the company launched an initiative to standardize barley cultivation, improve breeding quality and strengthen supply chain resilience, partnering with the National Barley and Highland Barley Industrial Technology Center Hulunbuir and Jiangsu State Farm Groups, along with suppliers including Chunlei Malt and Gansu Xiangyong. The initiative has saved $150,000 annually in wastewater treatment costs. Technology and business model innovations Precision agriculture –Uses genotype analysis of barley varieties and integrates smart technologies such as precision fertilization, chemical control and variable-rate irrigation. Green production and logistics –Optimizes processes and applies lean management to reduce carbon emissions across the value chain. –Established a short-chain model: from developing wheat seeds, to growing wheat locally and brewing in the same region, reshaping a more sustainable, efficient and community-orientated industrial ecosystem.Sustainable packaging –Develops eco-friendly packaging materials, including high-performance PET bottles (non- toxic, 100% recyclable plastic) and recyclable aluminium cans. Food and water circularity –Supplied treated wastewater to 10+ sewage treatment plants through negotiated emissions agreements; the sewage treatment plants can use organic matter from the brewery’s wastewater as a carbon source, reducing chemical purchases and operational expenses and therefore cutting the treatment cost. Outcomes –3000+ acres of barley have been harvested. –Saved $150,000 annually in wastewater treatment costs. –Reduced carbon emissions by hundreds of tonnes per treatment plant each year. Lessons learned –Short-chain production cuts emissions. –However, the company needs to integrate the fragmented landscapes of smallholders to optimize resource allocation and improve production standards to achieve greater efficiency.Source: CR Beer interviews and materials review. From Scarcity to Solutions: Food-Water Innovation in Asia and the Middle East 25

From Scarcity to Solutions 2025