Eleven successful organisations will use the support to develop agricultural technologies that improve post-harvest resilience and productivity of food systems in dairy, fish and horticulture value chains.
According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development, smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia’s food systems play a critical role by producing approximately 30% of most food commodities. However, 85% of smallholder farmers lack access to energy, and food loss and waste is around 37% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Access to sustainable and affordable technologies such as cold storage or solar-powered drying of produce can support the reduction of food loss and improve access to market.
According to Jolanda van Ginkel, Programme Manager Renewable Energy, IKEA Foundation, “We recognise that the early-stage support provided by the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund holds the potential to significantly improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. By providing access to renewable energy solutions, we are empowering farmers to reduce food loss, increase productivity, and access new markets, thereby creating a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector.”
The successful projects that received funding were:
- Amped Innovation – developing an affordable direct current solar generator to power agricultural equipment such as milling
- aQysta – conducting a feasibility study on solar drying technology that extends drying time overnight
- CoolVeg Foundation – developing and field-testing forced-air evaporative cooling chambers for the storage of fruits and vegetables
- East African Smart Villages and Rural Mobility – developing an internet-of-things-enabled, solar powered, light electric vehicle cold chain fleet to enhance market access for produce
- Ecozen – Developing a cost-effective Thermal Energy Storage technology for off-grid solar freezers in Africa
- Koolboks – field-testing internet-of-things enabled solar freezers, understanding customer affordability and assessing the viability of cooling-as-a-service
- Productive Solar Solutions – developing high-efficiency permanent magnet synchronous motors to power agricultural machinery in off- and weak-grid areas
- Rural Aquaculture Development – developing a low-cost refrigerated cooling box to transport and store fish in Uganda
- Savanna Circuit Technologies – developing a mobile chiller powered by solar energy, coupled with a centralised ice-water dispensing unit
- Simusolar – developing pay-as-you-go control systems for agricultural processing machines
- Synnefa – developing greenhouse solar dryers with hardware and software components for optimising drying conditions, enhancing affordability and efficiency through a cooperative ownership model
The projects will include field trials to take place in the coming year in a number of countries including Kenya, Tanzania, India and Uganda.
Emilie Carmichael, Head of International, Energy Saving Trust said, “These pioneering technologies are crucial for improving the livelihoods of rural communities in the Global South who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Harnessing the power of clean energy, these innovative solutions provide vital support to smallholder farmers in boosting productivity and incomes while strengthening their resilience to climate-related challenges.”
The Efficiency for Access Research and Development fund launched the AgriTech call in November 2023 supported by the IKEA Foundation and UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform.
Since 2018 the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund has provided more than £5million of support across 38 R&D projects, accelerating innovation in the off- and weak-grid appliances sector.