GreenBox

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost or wasted worldwide every year. As a result, developed and developing countries lose around $990 billion, enough to feed around 124 million hungry people in 51 countries (World Food Report, 2018).

In Africa, post-harvest tomato losses range from 20 to 30%. More importantly, the carbon footprint of food waste is estimated at 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year due to agricultural waste.
In Nkouo, a farming community in Congo, tomato farmers lose 5,300 tonnes of produce each year. As a result, current post-harvest losses pose a threat to the population in terms of food and financial stability. Smallholder farmers find it difficult to sell their excess produce to the market and do not have sustainable storage facilities, leading to crop decay/rot. Thus contributing to food waste. We can conclude that post-harvest losses pose a threat to food security as well as environmental protection that affects most farming communities in Africa and around the world.

Our solution is a cold room preservation technology including solar panels, sensors, condensing unit and evaporator with a temperature of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. This cooling technology will extend the shelf life of tomatoes and other perishable crops up to 21 days under appropriate regulated temperature.
The unit is a rectangular prism with a storage capacity of one hundred 25 kg crates of tomatoes. The cold storage unit will run on solar panels during the day. The energy stored in the battery during the day will be used for nighttime cooling.
For farmer education, we partner with other organizations such as Agri resources Congo to develop educational and awareness programs on sustainable agricultural practices.
As for connecting farmers to markets, we have help from an organization called Mvutu. But our long-term goal is to develop a digital marketplace for farmers so they can connect directly with buyers, removing middlemen from the equation who eat up part of farmers' profits. Currently, this part of the solution is still in the ideation stage.

We started stocking tomatoes, which account for up to 38% of the total national vegetable expenditure, and more than 500 farmers showed interest in our service.

Our solution helps farmers extend the shelf life of their products up to five times longer than their normal shelf life at room temperature, helping them reduce losses by 50%.
While farmers only pay US$25 for an entire three-week period, I am very proud to let you know that our solution helps farmers save over US$98 on each 100kg crate, which otherwise would have been lost after harvest. losses.
Our target population is the Congo tomato growing community known as Nkouo. We will work with NKOUO as the first pilot community. It was once known to be the major tomato producing community in Ghana and is now facing huge losses due to excessive crop deterioration. The community is home to about 7,000 farmers and they lose $1 million seasonally.
Our solution will help reduce post-harvest losses in the community of Nkouo, Congo by 50% over the next two years and increase farmers' total seasonal income by over $1 million with at least two harvesting facilities. harvest. community storage.
During our field visits to Nkouo, we received a lot of positive feedback. Farmers are excited about the prospects of our solution and the community believes it will bring a net benefit to Nkouo. The chief and some community leaders believe in the project so much that they offered us land to accommodate our storage units.

GreenBox is based in Congo and our comprehensive team of energy, data science, hardware, software and business experts serve clients around the world. We reinvest the majority of our profits to continue our mission. Having experienced the impact of these changes first-hand, the GreenBox™ team came together to address pressing food and energy challenges with its unique combination of skills. We firmly believe that a smarter, cleaner and cheaper food and energy system for small, marginalized farmers is essential to enable societal and planetary resilience. We are a team of software engineers, data scientists, economists and operators with extensive experience. We value risk-taking in the service of radical scale, attentive listening and a tireless commitment to understanding our customers and their needs.

Divin KOUEBATOUKA was increasingly struck by the obvious consequences of climate change and ecological disruption in Congo. Concerned about the world that we leave to the children in his care, he has made the preservation of the environment his main fight. It focuses on actions proposed for the creation of socially and environmentally responsible businesses. Its approach focuses on creating jobs, improving people's lives and developing projects based on green technologies. As a dynamic leader passionate about building high-performing teams, he has spent his career driving innovation and growth across diverse industries. His enthusiasm led him to the green technology sector for environmental preservation and adaptation, AgriTech, fintech and on-demand delivery, where the power of reliable systems, passionate leadership and data-driven approach results in the creation of a business that delivers high performance. performance, quality products and on demand for thousands of customers.

We have completed product development and design and are currently testing our product.
GreenBox has installed and currently operates 5 community solar cold rooms in key markets, producing aggregation centers and agricultural clusters in the northern and southern regions of Congo. These 2 GreenBoxes are used by 517 small farmers, retailers and wholesalers.

GreenBox saved 20,400 tonnes of food from spoilage in 2023 for 517 farmers, retailers and wholesalers, using the 2 hubs installed and operational.

It increased the household income of 517 small farmers, retailers and wholesalers from USD 60 per month to USD 120 per month by eliminating the previous 50% of food, which was unsold or thrown away, this 50% is now stored and sold.

  Get real-time web and mobile access to our cold storage management system through our app, GreenBox also provides real-time tracking and monitoring of goods with integrated IoT cloud technology.

With our solution, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions by preventing food waste, helping local farmers escape poverty and creating jobs for women in the community.

We face a hurdle in some parts of the country, particularly in agricultural communities, due to a lack of reliable electricity.
Cooling is the most effective technique to limit the rate of deterioration, setting up cold storage systems in rural communities is more difficult because most of these settlements are still not connected to the grid. To help achieve 100% energy access and ensure inclusive food systems, we made the decision to leverage our cold room technology powered entirely by solar energy. However, the costs involved in deploying 100% solar cold rooms are very high and require high upfront costs to set them up. Obtaining financing opportunities, particularly in Congo, has been a challenge.
Another problem is that most small farmers are reluctant to adopt new technologies. During community entry, when we scale and introduce our solution to a new location, it is normally difficult to get grassroots farmers to accept and quickly adapt to our new technology.

Our project is innovative because we operate a simple consumer payment business model. Farmers and retailers pay 300 CFA (equivalent to 0.50 USD) to store a 20 kg box per day.

Smallholder farmers do not need any additional support to access our technology and use our service, as GreenBox bears the capital cost of cold storage deployment. Additionally, we operate the cold rooms and rent 20kg returnable plastic crates (at US$0.50) to farmers to store their produce in the cold rooms every day. Each Hub can store 150 of these crates. All crates have two labels, the first label is attached to the crate and stacked inside the cold room and the second label is given to the farmer, for easy identification, at the time of collection.
Renting space at a daily rate per crate allows farmers to access technology at an affordable price and at a scale that makes sense for each individual stakeholder.
We hire and train selected smallholder farmers or fruit and vegetable sellers to work as hub operators and market attendants on farms and markets.
The hub operator, who monitors the loading and unloading of boxes, collects fees, and a market attendant who builds relationships with customers in agricultural clusters and markets.

Reduce food waste

GreenBox™️ extends the shelf life of perishable foods from 2 days to 21, reducing post-harvest losses by 90%.
Increase the income of local farmers
With more of their harvest to sell, smallholder farmers will be able to increase their annual income by 150%.
Create jobs for women
Our goal is to hire primarily women to manage operations and revenue collection at GreenBox™️ stations.
Reduce malnutrition
More nutritious foods will be available to people in rural and urban areas, especially children.
Self-sufficient business model
Our business model will allow us to become autonomous during the first year of operation.
No poverty
Small farmers operate within tight financial margins, so the ability to increase their profits increases their resilience and helps them overcome poverty traps.
Affordable and clean energy
Small farmers may not be able to purchase electricity individually, but GreenBox™️ provides a common model that gives farmers affordable access to clean energy for food storage.

We have an environmental impact: We help reduce carbon emissions from food waste. The solar cold room we installed reduces up to 16.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions each month.
From 2,400 tonnes to 20,700 MT of fruits and vegetables checked for deterioration.
Each solar cold room we install reduces up to 16.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions every month. This means that with five of our preservation units in operation, we are saving more than 1,080 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year in a single community, helping to achieve a carbon-free world. The impact increases as we grow and expand into new communities.
  
Our Economic Impact
We have an economic impact: We help farmers reduce their losses by 90%, which increases their income. Last agricultural season alone, we were able to increase our sales by 150%.
We increased the household income of 3517 small farmers, retailers and wholesalers from USD 60 per month to USD 120 per month by eliminating the previous 90% of food, which was unsold or thrown away, this 90% is now stored and sold.
We started stocking tomatoes, which account for up to 38% of the total national vegetable expenditure, and more than 5,000 farmers showed interest in our service.

Over the next few years, we aim to install, commission and operate 20 GreenBoxes (measuring 10 feet long, 10 feet wide and 7 feet high) each containing and cooling 3 tons of food per day, in 10 food zones across high potential. Congo's production and consumption clusters to serve 2,000 farmers and sellers, at least 100 users per hub.

Over the next five years, we aim to install, commission and operate at least up to 500 GreenBoxes in Congo, DRC, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, serving at least 50,000 small farmers, retailers and wholesalers of fresh fruits, vegetables and other perishable foods.

Through this partnership, more than 3,000 smallholder farmers and vendors will be trained in post-harvest handling and storage, resulting in less food loss and higher incomes. The 10 new sites will potentially reach 2,000 beneficiaries, including 1,000 farmers, and save around 22,000 tonnes of food from spoilage each year.

We use Ice Battery technology which is energy efficient even at night, the system only uses 5% of the energy for cooling as it uses the ice created during the day.

The solar powered walk-in cold room is made of 120mm cold room insulation panels to keep the temperature low. Energy from the solar panels mounted on the roof of the cold room is stored in high capacity batteries which power an inverter which in turn powers the refrigeration unit.
Cold room: 10ft length, 10ft width and 7ft height, 150mm insulated cold room panel with stainless steel floor. It contains approximately 2 tonnes of perishable foodstuffs placed in 30 kg plastic crates, stacked on the ground.
Refrigeration Unit: An energy-efficient packaged refrigeration unit with 24/7 self-contained refrigeration, designed for off-grid use. The temperature is maintained around 5° Celsius.
Solar Power: Provided by rooftop solar panels generating approximately 5.5 kW, connected to a set of long-life, deep-cycle batteries, off-grid and on-grid inverters. The power generated is sufficient to operate the hubs in all weather conditions.

GreenBox™️'s tracking module manages products coming in and out of the system and provides a holistic farm management tool. The module provides alerts on when the product quality is about to change, how long it can be stored, cooling energy consumed and alerts the user if the product falls out of appropriate conditions. The module links to GreenBox's market analysis module to give the user real-time and future price predictions to sell or buy products at a better price. It can show the user the nearest cold storage unit and product buyers or sellers.

The initial costs of cooling units are high, meaning smallholder farmers do not have the disposable income to purchase one for themselves. Our project aims to use a flexible payment system to enable local farmers to afford the service and make an overall profit. After talking with farmers in the community, we decided on a price of 35 cents per 25 kg box per day stored in our units.

This price was set taking into account the farmers' opinions on our initially proposed price as well as the selling price of 25 kg of tomatoes. A 25kg box sells for around $35, meaning if farmers store their produce with us for an average of 14 days, they will save around $30 on produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Additionally, we also increase the bargaining power of smallholder farmers through our solar energy storage system. This gives them more time to search for viable buyers, which would allow them to sell their products at a better price. Buyers and middlemen know that if farmers do not sell their produce quickly, it risks rotting. They therefore use the deterioration of harvests as leverage to lower prices. GreenBox wants to change this dynamic. So that the buyer and the farmer can reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
Our project is unique because it aims to bring a relatively expensive product to small-scale farmers, where such a product is desperately needed.

Founding team: 7 members including 3 full-time women
Manufacturing entrepreneurs: 4 members
Volunteers: 10 part-time members
Advisory team: 5 members

3 years

Divin Arnaud KOUEBATOUKA Founder & CEO is a results-oriented project manager with over 12 years of experience in industrial management and working with multidisciplinary teams of varying sizes and complexity in Renewable Energy and protection and sustainable development.

Social Entrepreneur, Founder & General Manager of MVUTU / GreenBox™, he is of Congolese nationality, Polytechnic Engineer graduated in Industrial Systems, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency from the African University of Technology and Management UATM. International consultant in green technologies. He is experienced with extensive expertise in agribusiness startups, rural logistics, distribution, business strategy, contract negotiations, business processes and team building. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Laval University, Canada, and holds several certifications in GIC iX Innovation Execution from Sanford Online https://digitalcredential.stan...
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/di...

Marveil Mavoungou
Technical director
Merveil is an electrical and electronics engineer, with extensive knowledge and expertise in clean energy, solar cells, batteries, air conditioning, cold room design and refrigeration. He holds a BSc, MSc, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, UCAM-ISTAC University, Congo.
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/me...

Gercia TCHIBINDA
| An accountant BANKING Associate
She's passionate about people and numbers, and even more so about being disruptive. She firmly believes that green is the new gold, the future is about increasing productivity by leveraging technology in all its forms. She also worked at Berock Ventures Limited as a Senior Accountant. Gracia is a final level graduate of ICA Congo and holds a BSC in Accounting from Methodist University College obtained in May 2017. She has full responsibility for the management of GreenBox accounting and associated business services. Manage all accounting operations by reconciling statements, running software, securing revenue, verifying and accounting for receipts, and resolving discrepancies, in addition to the normal accounting process.

Rey Osvaldo Mokouma
Sales and Digital Marketing Manager
& ICT Experienced digital marketer, search engine optimization expert, with a proven ability to convey complex product information and ideas digitally. Android Development • Web Development • Custom Software Development • Mobile Application Development • Training • Leadership Development • Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Engineer.
Engineering, EAD CONGO.
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/re...

Sara Shelah LIBOKO (Ph.D)

Project Developer
SARA has a Master's degree in Urban Management Engineering, obtained at the African School of Architecture and Urban Planning (EAMAU) located in Lomé-Togo. Laureate in Business and Entrepreneurship from the YALI DAKAR Regional Leadership Center. A young woman entrepreneur with many hats, she has skills in leadership, communication, writing, management of humanitarian projects, etc. Ultimately, always being of service to others and to one's community.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sa...

Il s'agit d'un modèle de répartition qui permet aux agriculteurs d'éviter des accords de stockage coûteux qui les lient à des paiements excessifs, quelle que soit la production.

Our sources of income:
    • We provide solar powered cold rooms on a Pay-as-you conservation basis for fish, dairy, fruit and vegetable producers. (85%).

    • We provide access to solar energy for bicycles and tricycles on a pay-as-you-go basis to vulnerable rural populations. (15%).
FLEXIBLE PAY-AS-YOU-STORE MODEL
GreenBox offers farmers a flexible pay-as-you-go subscription model. In preparation for storage, farmers transfer their perishable food into our reusable crates, which fit snugly on the shelves. Farmers pay a daily fee for each crate of food they store.
Farmers can rent space in the cold storage for a daily rate of $0.50 per 20-kilogram box, or purchase a weekly subscription. They can also pay for cold storage with their crops rather than cash.
RENT
We charge US$0.50 per night to rent 1 plastic crate. Each GreenBox can contain 150 boxes and the annual income is: US$27,375
SELL
We sell GreenBoxes to order to professional butchers, supermarkets, restaurants and large farmers, health centers. The price of the GreenBox is: US$35,000

We earn money to maintain our financial viability by providing daily locating services for 20kg plastic crates and cold storage space inside ColdHubs.

We are also raising grants to build ColdHubs and are also looking to raise sufficient investment capital once we overcome market barriers and achieve solid revenue; achieve stronger profit margins and position ourselves effectively to attract commercial sources of low-interest financing from venture capitalists, impact investors, commercial banks and development finance institutions for greater expansion in Nigeria, West Africa and across Africa.

The company hopes to expand to twelve more communities in Congo and two other African countries over the next five years, allowing it to reach more than 15,000 small farmers and traders.

We will focus on the Congolese market with 24 GreenBox™️ for 500,000 small farmers to improve our services and technology before going to Cameroon with 300 GreenBoxes for more than 3M small farmers then going to the DRC with more than 1000 GreenBox for more than 10 million small farmers.