Reducing Post Harvet Losses and Addressing Water Scarcity

Nicole Smith, Chief Operating Officer, and Michael Goodwyn, Lead Engineer and Operations Manager, from Aldelano, a national leader in customized assembly packing and warehouse services established in 1968, visited CCA on May 18, 2017. Adelano specializes in establishing strategic service centers throughout the United States for customers who need low cost, customized 24/7 packaging and warehousing fulfillment services for their consumer goods, dry and refrigerated products. Some of their customers include Southern California Gas Company, Toyota, Sunny Delight, KTG, Kellogg’s and Procter & Gamble. The goal of their visit to CCA was to inform our members of their cold storage units that come in 40 foot or 20 foot sizes that if utilized in Africa could help reduce post-harvest losses. In many developing countries, including Africa, food losses for perishable commodities occur primarily at the early stages of the food chain due to inadequate cold storage and cooling facilities. Many experts believe that loss is in the magnitude of about 30 percent of production. Therefore, cold storage warehouse with off-grid capabilities can greatly reduce the amount of food going to waste.In the presentation, Aldelano reminded the participants that communities with inadequate food supplies often experience a shortage of clean, safe water. To address this problem, the company has created Aldelano Solar WaterMaker that harnesses molecules in the air to create up to 1,000 gallons of safe drinking water per day that is independent of any power grid or water system. On a cloudless day, moisture is still present in the form of water vapor. Paired with the Aldelano Solar IceMaker, up to 2,300 lbs of ice may be produced a day. Powered by solar energy during the day and stored solar energy at night, the Aldelano SmartLogic system automatically switches to generator or grid power when batteries are low and returns to stored solar power when the batteries are fully charged.Members responded with lots of questions since they were familiar with the benefits of this type of technology. A key obstacle to overcome for smallholder farmers would be cost. Aldelano is seeking partners who can help defray costs.