Solar dehydration of fruits, vegetables and meat

Food security and economic resilience of women heads of household by reducing food waste through innovative urban solar dehydrators.

Innovative urban solar dehydrators using clean technology: 40x60 cm. Metal and glass structures with 5 drying trays. They are devices that take advantage of solar radiation as a greenhouse effect, the air is heated in the glass chamber, the same that enters through the input and output grids that have each dehydrator and are strategically located and thus removing the water from the tissues of products such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, meats, herbs, this process compared to direct dehydration is 100% more effective in time and is done in optimal conditions of hygiene and product. obtained is of quality in terms of color and flavor, this urban dehydrator can be used in small spaces (patio, terrace, balcony) and can be easily moved because it has 4 small wheels.

We suppose it is contradictory to the lack of food, which is the loss and waste of daily food, in a region where 37.2% of its inhabitants live in poverty and go hungry.

According to statistics, 16,200 tons (an estimated 1.4 kg/person) of food waste are produced daily in Bolivia, of which 50% are vegetables, 23% are fruits and to a lesser extent other foods such as cereals and dairy products. Despite the short shelf life and the important nutritional contribution of fruits and vegetables, they are the most wasted foods, and if the food ends up in the landfill and rots, methane is produced, a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon oxide.

Added to this lack of responsible consumption by the population is the crisis caused by the COVID19 pandemic, which found people producing (urban gardens) and stocking up on food with little or no knowledge of how to preserve and store it, raising the percentage of food waste and thus replacing the family economy.

The beneficiaries of this solution are 50 families in the peri-urban area of the city of Tarija headed by female heads of household.

Three out of every 10 women in Bolivia are heads of household; these mothers are one of the social groups most affected by poverty. Women with children do not have the same opportunities in the workplace as men and women without children, as they still suffer from the "disadvantages of motherhood" that prevent them from participating in the labor market to their full potential.

Not participating in the labor market and not having their own economic income not only implies more poverty at the family level, but often means that these women have less decision-making power over the deployment of household resources, while at the same time placing many women in a position of greater abandonment in the face of a change in family composition, having to cope with the economic needs of the family and on numerous occasions without adequate preparation and experience to get a quality, well-paid job.

The beneficiaries live in peri-urban areas of the Municipality of Cercado, either as owners or co-owners, or as tenants, many of the peri-urban neighborhoods still do no

Secondary information and good practices were sought to see how to dehydrate more Surely Ojo initial, the wood dehydrator was started, but in Tarija we do not have treatment and drying kilns, then no barracks wanted to guarantee the work, because being in the sun all day, its life is reduced because the wood is damaged by the sun but it is treated, so we opted for another material such as metal, giving excellent results. The wood dehydrator began, but in Tarija we do not have treatment and drying ovens, then no barracks wanted to guarantee the work because being in the sun all day, its life is reduced because the wood is damaged by the sun but is not treated, so they opted for another material such as metal, giving excellent results. In Tarija we do not have treatment and drying ovens, so no barracks wanted to guarantee the work, since being all day in the sun, its life is reduced because the wood is damaged by the sun. It is treated, so another material such as metal was chosen, giving excellent results.

Our initiative is in a pilot test, dehydrators were delivered to 50 women heads of household, training began for the beneficiaries with basic concepts on hygiene and proper food handling, dehydration practices and currently our beneficiaries are already processing their own food for food security and future marketing, a name will be selected in a participatory manner for the product, AMA'Y, which means dry dehydrated in Guarani. Soon we will have the first productive fair for the presentation and commercialization of dehydrated food.

The technology used is existing and ancestral, the methodology of dehydration comes from ancient times, through the use of light to dehydrate different foods, now we present a device with metal structure with glass that prevents direct contact with the sun and acts as a greenhouse in the drying. This heat is used with the circulation of air that enters and exits through lower and upper spaces that are covered with mesh, its dimensions are 60 cm wide by 40 cm high, 5 trays to place food to dehydrate, glass front, glass sides, lower mesh lid for air intake, upper mesh for hot air outlet, wheels to transport or move it.

The drying time is reduced to 100%, that is to say, what is dehydrated in about 7 days directly, in these new devices is dehydrated in 3 to 4 days and the product is of high quality.

50 low-income women heads of household, the project is expected to reach a population of 200 people in 10 periurban neighborhoods in the city of Tarija. 

Social achievements:

A change in consumption habits will be achieved, adjusted to the real needs of the beneficiary population, speaking of responsible consumption, considering options that favor environmental conservation and social equity.
Food security will be achieved for 50 single-parent families (heads of household), young women with children in early childhood.
Economic empowerment of 50 women heads of household will be achieved, training them to have entrepreneurial skills.

Economic achievements:

The dehydrated food value chain will be strengthened, taking into account food produced in urban gardens and leftovers.
The production and commercialization of dehydrated food will be achieved and offered through the application for mobile devices.

To achieve food security and economic resilience of 50 women heads of household, this will be measured on the one hand by the active participation of these women in knowledge development activities that will be put into practice through the use of dehydrators to have food and keep it in their family store and be able to market it, they already have a brand for their product and a physical space so they can market it and obtain a greater number of buyers, these will allow us to measure the progress of the initiative.

The barriers are of the type of restrictions due to the pandemic, face-to-face workshops, closed food markets, but we have a contingency plan which are virtual workshops and online marketing, one of the barriers would also be economic because we are in the production stage and then we will move to the marketing stage, for this we need a vacuum packaging machine so that our food is preserved for longer.

There is no precedent in our municipality for this type of initiative, especially in the urban area, which positions us as pioneers in this type of technology; there are many initiatives, but this is the only one for food security and with this vulnerable group at the forefront. Our team has experience: we have a project coordinator with experience in the operational management of projects and who manages funding opportunities, we have a technician/facilitator with experience in the area of food and is responsible for the processes of knowledge and skills development, training women heads of households on the subject of dehydrated fruits and vegetables, meats, etc., This professional is responsible for the beneficiaries to put into practice the knowledge acquired, the correct use of the dehydrator and its operation and maintenance until production and a third facilitator supports who in the marketing area to see the business plan and marketing of the product to offer.

We are currently associated with the Socio-environmental Justice Movement, who support us with technicians for workshops and training, with the Environmental Unit of the Autonomous Municipal Government of Tarija, who support us with spaces where we can market our products, as well as a diffusion to market our product.

Our innovative project will help low-income women to generate their own income, at the same time reducing solid waste pollution in the environment, reducing waste by giving a second chance to our food through dehydration. solara, providing added value to these foods.

Prenda