POSTHARVEST INNOVATIONS
A postharvest innovation is a handling or storage practice or a method or tool that can be used to reduce food losses or food waste. Innovations can be adapted from a variety of related fields (engineering, food science, or packaging) or developed specifically for use in the postharvest sector. PEF is pleased to share news and reports on postharvest innovations with our network.
OVERVIEW
The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Knowledge Initiative (GKI), the report “Reducing Food Waste and Spoilage: Assessing resources needed and available to reduce postharvest food loss in Africa.” June 2014
100 under $100: Tools for reducing postharvest losses. 2019.
ADVOCACY
Integrating postharvest development capacity into national extension service. ADMI 1st International Congress on Postharvest Loss Prevention (Rome, 4-7 Oct 2015). Keynote presentation: Dr Lisa Kitinoja.
Ending Rural Hunger. Kitinoja, Lisa. 2016. “Innovative Approaches to Food Loss and Waste Issues,” Frontier Issues Brief for the Brookings Institution’s Ending Rural Hunger project. https://endingruralhunger.org/assets/files/downloads/Frontier_Issues_FLW.pdf
CONTAINERS & PACKAGING
Plastic crates can be reused many times, and then recycled. Returnable plastic crates (RPC) are being promoted by many companies and associations. http://reusables.org/category/products/reusables-plastic-containers-rpcs http://www.bungobox.com/
Reusable Plastic Crate
CoolBot modules can be used to convert a typical window style air conditioning unit (minimum temperature setting of 15C) to a small-scale refrigeration system that can reach as low as 2C.
A unique root cellar made from an old sailboat
Evaporatively cooled storage chambers:
Zero Energy Cool Chamber, PPT by Dr S.K. Roy on the cooling studies and details for construction of the Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC)
Zeer pot -- a simple evaporatively cooled storage technology
Charcoal cooler -- a walk-in cool room you can construct on a farm, for a packinghouse or in the marketplace.
Sandpit storage for sweet potatoes (via CIP) -- https://cipotato.org/blog/storing-sweetpotato-sand-improve-diets-incomes-west-africa/
ENERGY USE and the ENVIRONMENT
Bicycle powered machines have been designed for many purposes. Innovations may be used for cooling, pumping water or doing postharvest work.
For some plans and ideas see here
PedalPro video
For ideas on how to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency:
Empowering Agriculture: Energy Options for Horticulture (Postharvest Chapters co-authored by Lisa Kitinoja, and James Thompson, March 2009)
In-depth infographic on food waste via ALL GREEN PR LIMITED, providing staggering numbers around the world of how much food we are actually throwing away:
MARKETING
Farmers markets -- ideas for direct marketing
Urban delivery vans and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
PROCESSING & STORAGE OF DRY FOODS
Pest management for grains, S.Mohan, TNAU, Coimbatore (India) -- gadgets Loading the player... TNAU insect trap (probe model) Tomato powder, via Abubaker Siddick, India, a "how-to" presentation for IHC
Solar drier videos, plans and designs can be found on these websites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQDRyLqrmks
http://www.rootsimple.com/2008/10/build-solar-dehydrator.html
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooking/cooking.htm Video of tomato harvest, sorting, washing, slicing, solar drying from Kenya (via Andrew Egala) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-lDReYO2YHTTdlXX1nlq1O9xtrYDzpMo/view
Drying Fruits and Vegetables with the SolarFlex Dryer
For long-term storage of dried foods it is best to protect them from light, heat, air and moisture:
http://grainpro.com/ -- hermetic storage
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/jarsTerrines?productId=10011037
Appropriate Postharvest Technologies for Improving Market Access and Incomes for Small Horticultural Farmers in Sub- Saharan Africa and South Asia. Part 2: Field Trial Results and Identification of Research Needs for Selected Crops. Saran, S., Roy, S. K. and Kitinoja, L. (2012). Acta Hort (IHC 2010) 934: 41-52.
Packaging Technologies review article (source: Encyclopedia of Food Safety)
PICS bags from Purdue University https://www.entm.purdue.edu/PICS3/
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