Positive News Today

Positive News Today
Energy Projects

Environmental News Network – Designing Off-Grid Refrigeration Technologies for Crop Storage in Kenya

October 25, 2020015
Share0

For smallholder farmers living in hot and arid regions, getting fresh crops to market and selling them at the best price is a balancing act.

 

For smallholder farmers living in hot and arid regions, getting fresh crops to market and selling them at the best price is a balancing act. If crops aren’t sold early enough, they wilt or ripen too quickly in the heat, and farmers have to sell them at reduced prices. Selling produce in the morning is a strategy many farmers use to beat the heat and ensure freshness, but that results in oversupply and competition at markets and further reduces the value of the produce sold. If farmers could chill their harvests — maintaining cool temperatures to keep them fresh for longer — then they could bring high-quality, fresh produce to afternoon markets and sell at better prices. Access to cold storage could also allow growers to harvest more produce before heading to markets, making these trips more efficient and profitable while also expanding consumers’ access to fresh produce.

Unfortunately, many smallholder farming communities lack access to the energy resources needed to support food preservation technologies like refrigeration. To address this challenge, an MIT research team funded by a 2019 seed grant from the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) is combining expertise in mechanical engineering, architecture, and energy systems to design affordable off-grid cold storage units for perishable crops. Three MIT principal investigators are leading this effort: Leon Glicksman, professor of building technology and mechanical engineering in the Department of Architecture; Daniel Frey, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the faculty director for research at MIT D-Lab; and Eric Verploegen, a research engineer at MIT D-Lab. They are also collaborating with researchers at the University of Nairobi to study the impact of several different chamber designs on performance and usability in Kenya. Together, they are looking to develop a cost-effective large-scale cooperative storage facility that uses the evaporative cooling properties of water to keep harvests fresher, longer.

 

Continue reading at MIT.

Image via MIT.

Source

Share0
previous post
Environmental News Network – Turning Back The Tide Of Flooding
next post
New insight on the impacts of Earth’s biosphere on air quality

Related posts

Environmental News Network – A Renewable Solution to Keep Cool in a Warming World

TheEarthLabOctober 24, 2020

Environmental News Network – Researchers to Investigate Wind Power Effects on Bats in the Baltic Sea Region

TheEarthLabAugust 24, 2020

RiskIQ announces investment from National Grid Partners

TheEarthLabNovember 4, 2020
Click to comment

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

  • Photo of Paralyzed Man Cleaning Plastic From India River Goes Viral –And He’s Showered With Gifts to Better His Life
  • India’s COVID-19 ‘human barricade’ to keep cases under control, say experts
  • DLF’s rental arm completes acquisition of Gurgaon’s One Horizon Centre
  • China’s CNOOC records over 101 bcm gas reserves in Shanxi
  • F.D.A. Clears Johnson & Johnson’s Shot, the Third Vaccine for U.S.

Archives

  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020

Subscrible

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • News
  • Projects
  • About
  • Contact
  • TV Pitch
FacebookTwitterInstagram
@2020 - thelab.earth. All Right Reserved.
theLAB.earth
  • Global
    • Global News
    • Global Media
    • Global Events
    • Global Projects
  • Energy
    • Energy News
    • Energy Media
    • Energy Events
    • Energy Projects
  • Water
    • Water News
    • Water Media
    • Water Events
    • Water Projects
  • Human Kindness
    • Human Kindness News
    • Human Kindness Media
    • Human Kindness Events
    • Human Kindness Projects
  • Projects
logo
  • Global
    • Global News
    • Global Media
    • Global Events
    • Global Projects
  • Energy
    • Energy News
    • Energy Media
    • Energy Events
    • Energy Projects
  • Water
    • Water News
    • Water Media
    • Water Events
    • Water Projects
  • Human Kindness
    • Human Kindness News
    • Human Kindness Media
    • Human Kindness Events
    • Human Kindness Projects
  • Projects
@2020 - thelab.earth. All Right Reserved.
FacebookTwitterInstagram