Project
Title
Erneuerbare Energie für Ernährungssicherheit (REFS): Optimierung und Hochskalierung eines modularen Solartrockners für die Nachernteverarbeitung von Gemüse in Kenia // Renewable Energy for Food Security (REFS): Optimisation and upscaling of a modular solar dryer for
postharvest processing of vegetables in Kenya
Acronym
REFS
Start
01.04.2024
End
31.03.2027
Coordinating Institute
Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (ATB)
Coordinator
Partner
University of Nairobi (UoN)
Kenyatta University
INNOTECH Ingenieursgesellschaft mbH
Project team ATB
Allocated to research program
Summary
Safe, sufficient, and nutritious food is required to maintain an active and healthy life. However, small-holder
farmers in a majority of rural areas still endure food insecurity and malnourishment despite owning the
resources to produce adequate food. In Kenya, carbohydrate-based cereal crops are the main staple foods
utilised around the year. However, recurring droughts, declining soil fertility and persistent insect attacks in
the country have reduced local production of the key staples, plunged the country into a malnutrition crisis,
necessitated food importation and increased rural poverty.
Commercially-oriented crops such as potato experience high post-harvest losses (i.e. 40 %) during surplus
production while traditional nutritious crops such as wild cherry tomato and pumpkin are largely neglected.
In this project, the prototype solar modular dryer developed in a former project will be upscaled and disseminated to small-scale farmers to process surplus potato and seasonal wild cherry tomato and pumpkin into innovative solar-dried products for consumption and sale.
Funding
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL)
Funding agency
Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE)
Grant agreement number
2822DOKO14