Sub-project Title:
An Integrated Digital and Climate-smart Solution for Enhancing Safety, Traceability, and Market Access for the Rastrineobola argentea (Omena) Value Chain in East Africa
Funding Awarded:
€ 60,000
Location of the sub-project:
JKUAT Main Campus in Juja Town (Kiambu County), Dunga Beach (Kisumu County), and Marenga Omena Beach (Busia County) Kenya.
The Omena-Safe initiative confronts critical food safety and post-harvest loss issues within the Omena value chain by deploying a tripartite solution. This integrated approach encompasses a hybrid solar drying technology ensuring rapid and hygienic drying, a low-cost IoT-enabled sensor system integrated with a blockchain-lite mobile platform to establish comprehensive traceability, and a novel bio-preservative dip designed to extend shelf-life and reduce microbial load. The project targets a 30% reduction in post-harvest losses, a 50% decrease in microbial contamination, and a 20% improvement in trader incomes by facilitating access to premium markets. This intervention directly supports FS4Africa’s overarching objectives of market transformation and enhanced food security.
JKUAT Enterprises Limited
JKUAT Enterprises Limited (JKUATES) is the enterprise arm of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) that creates and commercializes quality solutions and products through research, consulting, training and innovation to transform individuals and institutions in Africa and beyond. JKUATES seeks to enhance entrepreneurial activity through the latest innovations in technological research, provide practical solutions for business problems by drawing on resource personnel from various disciplines in JKUAT, link the University with industry, government, the public and other stakeholders and to provide a forum for networking to propel development, and market the University’s innovations. The Enterprise undertakes these objectives and functions by offering products and services through various business activities.
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