CREIDBIA: A SUSTAINABLE FOODS SYSTEM

Nowadays, food distribution chains are altering being food insecurity an immediate problem in the pandemic and postpandemic affecting the whole segments related, specially the farmers and the final client. The challenge is: Production and distribution of food in a sustainable way. Our solution through a continuous competitive solar drying equipment focused on reducing food waste in the field and promoting the use of renewable energy at the industrial level that proposes innovations in organization, process, products and services with excellent profitability by reducing the waste of harvest surpluses, the cold chain, transportation allow the storage of food in scarcity, facilitate marketing to high value markets with a longer shelf life, high nutritional value, an intensified and pleasant flavor without the use of additives. Our solution could change the life of the farmers avoiding money and food waste offering the consumers shelf-stable healthy products ready to heat and cook

Since it was declared a pandemic by COVID-19, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published in its report "Responding to the repercussions of the outbreak of COVID-19 on food value chains through efficient logistics ”, the global changes in the logistics of food supply chains, the problem being: more disruption of food supply than food shortage, supply chains have broken, their disruptions May negatively impact countries' food and nutrition security, the coronavirus is exposing the world fragile food supply chain (just-in-time), and could leave millions starving. Currently, the only way to control breakdown is through the destruction of food. Something is wrong. Above all, with 820 million hungry people in the world before COVID-19.

The food production stage has been considered one of "critical points" in value chains, however, access to adequate technology in developing countries, allows only 30% of agricultural production undergoes industrial processing. Therefore, we propose a technological solution with a positive social and environmental impact in the food production stage, avoiding the waste of agricultural crops; due to the fact that valuable products are not considered, such as to consume or commercialize them either by appearance or size, promoting more sustainable lifestyles.

The proposed solution is a portable solar drying equipment with modular capacity, acccording the quantity of food to be processed; flexible in operation, it can be implemented in the harvest field and at industrial level; with: a continuos processing during the day and night; improved process control that allows to obtained dehydrated food with thermal degradation minimized indicated in the appear, odor and taste similar the fresh food; versitility in use, processing several kind of food into the equipment at the same time and the technology uses IoT and WiFi.

The technology produces sustainable foods that can be rehydrated with high nutritional value without the use of additives. Reduces food losses in the production field by reducing conventional energy consumption by 80% at the industrial level.

This Technology is applicable in various phases in the value chain: Farmer, manufacter, marketer and consumer; proposing innovations in organization, process, products and services with excellent profitability by reducing: the waste of harvest surpluses, the cold chain and transportation. Allowing the storage of food in scarcity or overproduction,  facilitating food handling, storage and improving distribution and marketing conditions by giving added value. In this way, we avoid food loss with healthy and delicious products.

The agriculture sector is the world's largest employer and provides livelihoods for 40% of today's world population. It is the largest source of income and employment for poor rural households. Empowering small-scale food producers to participate fully in development is critical to improving food security and reducing poverty and hunger.

Therefore, in the first instance, it seeks to support small producers, so that,  they do not waste up to 30% of their crops by only collecting those products that they can market as first or second quality, but rather, seek to take advantage of all the crops and through a fair trade to achieve profit from all the whole production. In the second instance, development can turn producers into manufacturers, thereby improving the economies of families, and a project for the articulation of the chain is also proposed. The products obtained can serve not only as a source of income, but it is proposed that the crops be diversified so that the producers themselves consume a variety of their products and strengthen their commercial offer and their food or that of their communities, favoring productions sustainable.

Our solution is a technology that allows to get a sustainable food system avoiding food waste and empowering farmers, but also, that impacts in several phases of the value chain food: For the primary producer, it is the opportunity to take advantage of all their harvests and market all their product. For food processing, it constitutes a technological alternative that consumes less fossil energy, as it is solar. For the marketer, it allows him to have a product that can target high-value markets. The final consumer will have a variety of foods even out of season, with high nutrimental value.

Our solution is a new technology of solar heating designed for dehydrated food. We have at date 3 requests of patent in Mexico and 1 patent obtained. We have compared our technology and system developed with others existing in the market and the academic.

The main differentiation is: the quality of the food dehydrated obtained with the technology, the taste, odor and appear similar to the fresh product; and the rehydration process indicate that:  The dehydrated process is developing with an improved control according the kind of food,  minimizing the thermal degradation reflects in loss of color of the dehydrated food. The portable system that allows to dehydrated food in the farm, avoids to loss nutrients due to the transportation and storage.  The system could adapt the capacity of processing requiered.  The system operates in a continuous form, during the day and night being the solar heating the main energy source, avoiding the loss of product during the process due to the solar intermiten.

The technology is modular and scalable. 

The products obtained retain their organoleptic and nutritional properties, have no additives and have the ability to rehydrate. 

The proposed model can help to articulate the entire food production chain.

Since the begining of the project the main motivation was seeking an innovative solution of the waste food in the production field in a sustainable form, according the request of mexican farmers. The results of the project was positive for a unique solar technology, at the present day there is interest in other country to use our technology, process and products. 

The core technology is in the process of patenting and it is a system for dehydrated food heating and sanitizing air by solar energy.
The technological solution proposed that can be used industrially or in the field so it can be both versatile in use and portable, allows to process several kind of food according their heat requirements mantaining their main caracteristics vs the fresh product through a improved control system with the IoT and WiFi. The equipments are modular and scalable according the process capacity. The products obtained retain their organoleptic and nutritional properties, have no additives and have the ability to rehydrate. The proposed model can help to articulate the entire food production chain: For the primary producer, processes all their harvests and market all their product. For food processing, it constitutes a ecological technological alternative. For the marketer, to have a product that can target high-value markets. The final consumer will have a variety of foods even out of season, with high nutritional value and rehydration capacity for later uses. It also seeks to provide job opportunities to people from vulnerable sectors, prioritizing the elderly or women.

https://youtu.be/gTc3MB7AHds

Since the begining of the project the main motivation was seeking an innovative solution of the waste food in the production field in a sustainable form, according the request of mexican farmers. 

Nowadays, we have received request of bee producers about to add value to honey, we have developed a line of condiment honey with fruits and spices for cook or eat using our solar technology and the dehydrated products. Also we have developed a line of seasoned salt with yucatecan condiments, healthy snacks of fruits, vegetables dehydrated for cook and dried powdered dips. Promoting Mexican regional cuisine, especially ethnic products with designation of origin in the world

We have allies such as: FUMEC (Foundation Mexico-EU for the Science), SEFOET (Secretaria de Fomento Economico) and Canacintra (Cámara Nacional de la Industria de la Transformación) and SEDER (Secretaria de Desarrollo Rural) with their support we have proved our products and our technology in trades fair. The results obtained confirm the quality of the dehydrated food and the interest of the people to buy healthy food obtained by a sustainable process.
Therefore, we expect to begin the support to groups of mexican farmers next year, these represent 1.2 millions of productive units.

We were working with a Foundation of small producers, three ecological farmers and four bee producers, however, because of covid 19 crisis, we had to close our office and stop the production process due to our goverment recommendations.

We will expect to recover our allies this year and to begin to work with the farmers of Yucatan and Veracruz state next year and in five years we expect to cover at least the 50% of the 1.2 million productive units of small farmers in Mexico

Our model and project are scalable in production capacity and can be implemented in various geographies of the country and the world. Since food losses in the field occur globally and our technology and model were selected by Oxford University (Oxentia) as one of the most commercially forward-looking technologies, we received a request from an established Indian producer in UK. The escalation process contemplates the reduction of losses in the field through the organization of the producers and our technology; increase the profitability of small producers by increasing marketing channels and points of sale with dehydrated products and increase the production of sustainable food with our technology and licensing plan.

Short term (1 year): For Market introduction, develop distribution
channels 

Medium term (3 years): National and international licensing of equipment and technology platform, Certifications

Medium Term (3 years): Group producers in process centers, collaboration agreements. 

International Expansion: Long term (5 years)Growing market of dried fruits, vegetables and spices that could be used by Mexican producers. In 2017, Euromonitor valued the dried fruit market at USD 490 million. United Kingdom, the largest importer and consumer of dehydrated fruits in Europe

The main barriers that we identify are: financial  and legal support for: the scaling of the technology, the development of the licensing system and administration of the operation, which requires the development of operation manuals and the obtaining of certifications; as well as the development of marketing models.

Through the sell of food sustainable products and to the support of the allies

We are a company constitude in Mexico, for profit, register in Economy Secretary in Mexico

2 person of  full time and 4 people part time.

Essentially, our work team is made up of two patner women; however, temporarily and depending on the stage we are working on, both allies and temporary employees have joined. One partner is an energy specialist with experience in equipment design and energy efficiency projects. Other partner, is a specialist in thermal systems with experience in modeling and control with artificial intelligence techniques. Together they have worked on the design of various equipment and the current proposal for the solar drying system for food production. They had the support of specialists in the area of electronics and technicians in equipment manufacturing. They have worked with multiple consultants and advisers from various institutions of the entrepreneurial system both locally, nationally and internationally. They have even interacted with educational institutions and interns from various careers who have collaborated with the project and have formally employed people who have assisted in the production and initial marketing phase.

We have allies such as: FUMEC (Foundation Mexico-EU for the Science) to intelectual property support, SEFOET (Secretaria de Fomento Economico) support the enterprises in Yucatán giving courses and support to trade fairs,  Canacintra (Cámara Nacional de la Industria de la Transformación) support to sell our products with Mercado Libre in the Premium market in Yucatan and give technical support about enterprises problems, SEDER (Secretaria de Desarrollo Rural) supports trade fairs and farmers contact.

The value proposition of this project is solar drying technology for food dehydration that adds value to fresh products by differentiating them by promoting their foray into high-value or premium markets. Through this technology the producer avoids food waste and economic losses, having the opportunity to commercialize all his production, by processing it increasing its useful life, facilitating handling, transport, storage and distribution. The manufacturer has a technological alternative, whose energy consumption is diminished with the use of solar energy; In addition, the process is standardized to ensure product quality. The marketer can access high-value markets, both consumer and industrial. The final consumer will have the availability of a variety of foods in and out of season, with high nutritional quality and with rehydration capacity for later uses. The key activities identified are the scaling of the team, the development of the licensing system and administration of the operation, which requires the development of operation manuals and the obtaining of certifications; as well as the development of marketing models. Income is expected from the licensing or rental of the equipment, as well as from the sale of dehydrated gourmet foods, under the CREID BIA brand. The clients are: Food producers, processors and distributors and the final consumers. Our allies are the primary producers, the mentors and consultants of various institutions, the industrial chambers and the institutions that support the entrepreneurial system.

We decided to apply to Solve due to the opportunities and the support given through the program, the barriers that we mentioned fit the program and because it is a marketplace for social impact innovation with a mission to solve world challenges and we want to CLIMBING OUR  SOLUTION ACCORDING the OBJECTIVES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT with a social impact. And we can participate in other prize funding programs

We consider that business model, product and service distribution, board members, and legal or regulatory matters could help us to define the basis to the scaling process and marketing,  funding, revenue model could help us to scale the project

We do not have names not potential partners in mind, we decide to make an open invitation to anyone person, organization who want to be our partner in our solution and approach 

Two women are is developing our solution presented, our technology is an innovation technological and consider the Job creation for vulnerable populations such as women and the elderly. With the Women Prize we can scale our solution and to reduce the time to achieve the medium term objectives and to start the work with Group producers in process centers, with collaboration agreements

Our approach and solution for a global problem such as the food waste and supply in to chain value is scalable and could impact the 
500 million small farms worldwide, which provide up to 80 percent of the food consumed in much of the developing world. Investing in small male and female farmers is an important way to increase food security and nutrition for the poorest, as well as food production for local and global markets.