Food
Solution by: Wakati
Longer-Lasting Produce Without Cooling TE C LI M A IT F BENE
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ENVIRONMENTAL Wakati introduces the benefits of renewable energy to off-grid communities. THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
SOCIAL Wakati aims to improve food security as well as the livelihoods of smallholders.
ECONOMIC Reducing post-harvest losses of already produced food is more economical than increasing production to compensate for these losses. 3
Instead of cooling, this tent produces a sterilized microclimate that keeps produce fresh for a week without the need for energy-intensive refrigeration. The Wakati is an easy-to-use, portable solution that can help smallholders improve their incomes by extending the shelf life of crops using solar power. A ventilator powered by a 3-watt solar panel gradually evaporates 200 ml of water per week, generating a humid environment within the tent that keeps cells intact and prevents mold and fungi from spreading. Each tent is capable of preserving up to 150 kilograms of produce for up to eight days, greatly reducing potential food waste and giving famers more time to sell their crops. Moreover, the tarp packaging of the Wakati can be stored and used at any point to mend ruptures that may form in the tent. WHY A SUSTAINIA100 SOLUTION? According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), up to 45% of all fruits and vegetables produced in the world each year end up as waste, much of which occurs during the post-harvest period.1 This figure also represents large amounts of additional resource waste, in the form of agricultural inputs. The Wakati offers an environmentally friendly solution to help reduce this volume.
The microclimate created inside the Wakati tent keeps crops fresh without cooling.
“Protecting what you have already grown is much easier and so much better for the planet.” ARNE PAUWELS, FOUNDER WAKATI
DEVELOPED IN ...
BELGIUM
1
DEPLOYED IN ...
8 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING BOTSWANA, BENIN, AND HAITI
FAO. “SAVE FOOD: Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction.” www.fao.org 2 FAO. “Food Wastage Footprint: Impact on Natural Resources.” Report. 2013.
3 A.A. Kader. “Increasing Food Availability by Reducing Postharvest Losses of Fresh Produce.” ISHS Acta Horticulturae 682: V International Postharvest Symposium. 2005.
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