Can Off-Grid Cold Storage System Be Deemed as a Boon for the Farmers?

Food and Beverages Tech Review | Tuesday, September 15, 2020

With the world adopting unique ways to help their businesses, even farmers are inclining towards cold storage systems to help them reduce the post-harvest losses.

FREMONT, CA: Mobile cold storage units which is powered by solar to help reduce post-harvest losses is introduced in the market. Farmers leveraging the refrigerated units powered by solar are moving away from diesel-powered generators for cold storage, hence reducing the environmental impact. Off-grid cold-store solutions can help the farmers in remote areas who still not connected to roads and electricity to reduce the waste and to sell when prices are fair. Usually, in times of harvest, prices fall and recover later in the season. Cutting on the waste and getting better prices leads to higher productivity and income.

[vendor_logo_first]One-third of food is wasted

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It is predicted that less than 10 percent of all perishable foods is currently refrigerated, even though post-harvest losses add up to 30 percent of the food production globally. The cold chain innovations around decentralized renewable energy (DRE) are paramount in Africa and Asia given that access and connection to electricity in rural areas, where food is produced, is still a luxury.

Off-grid solar 

A change to off-grid, solar-powered cold storage systems can lessen food waste and make more food available for subsistence and sales, ensuring food security and economic development while minimizing the adverse effects of conventional, fossil fuel-based agricultural value chains.

By incorporating decentralized renewable energy solutions to cold chain to support the development of a self-sustainable model of Green Cold Chain, enterprises are offering farmers a practical and affordable solution. If the United Nations goal of reducing food waste per capita by half by 2030 is to be reached, then these ideas must be implemented.

On October 16, developing countries will celebrate this year’s World Food Day. As they keep on investing in nutrition and set in place policies to provide for healthier, affordable, and sustainable diets, significant interventions are needed to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses. This will increase farmer’s incomes, cut emissions, and—most importantly—eliminate hunger by 2030.

Se Also: Top Renewable Energy Consulting Companies

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