Solar power is enabling farmers to reduce crop spoilage while temperatures increase. The Rockefeller Foundation is helping to fund SokoFresh, a company that is providing refrigeration to farmers in some particularly hot parts of the world.
SokoFresh has been able to help Kenyan farmers reduce crop losses from 40% to under 5% by leasing rooms that allow them to harvest during the daytime when temperatures routinely reach 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Better still, these cold spaces are powered by solar panels, ensuring reliable service even in remote communities.
"Cold storage breaks the idea that losses are normal," SokoFresh co-founder Dennis Karema said in a release. "Once farmers see what's possible, they don't accept waste anymore."
Harvesting crops before they can wilt under the heat has enabled farms to be more profitable, providing opportunities to expand and pay workers better wages. These are important victories considering drought remains a major obstacle in Kenya.
Refrigeration does wonders for farmers, but preventing food loss is also good for the environment. When left to rot, crops generate methane, which traps heat in the atmosphere and exacerbates the very weather conditions that challenge farmers. These include droughts, floods, and heat waves.
While infrastructure upgrades can apply changes at a large scale, there is plenty you can do at home to prevent food waste. Getting creative with leftovers can ensure as little as possible goes to waste, and shopping smart at the grocery store can help you load up just enough.
Karema reiterated the important role subsidies have had in improving the opportunities available to local farmers.
"This has allowed us to refine our pricing model and make cold storage available to rural outgrower farmers at rates they can afford," he said. "It has also enabled us to offer these cold storage units on both lease and lease-to-own terms — options that would otherwise be out of reach for most farmers."
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