Energy Efficient Rural Food Processing Utilising Renewable Energy to Improve Rural Livelihoods

世界卫生组织已经估计，近60%的世界人口营养不良，除非采取严肃措施解决这一问题，否则情况将进一步恶化。许多努力都正确地集中在增加粮食产量上，但这取决于增加对宝贵资源的利用。尽量减少食物链中的损失不仅可以增加农产品的数量和质量，还可以减少能源、水和土地的使用。采后粮食损失约占世界总产量的三分之一，在一些发展中国家可高达50%。化石燃料的使用使更多的人有饭吃，并确保营养不良的人数不会更糟。发展中国家人口增长迅速，在粮食生产中越来越多地使用化石燃料来满足需求。整个食物链都需要能量输入，据估计，生产1卡路里的食物需要7-10卡路里的能量。这主要来自化石燃料，化石燃料将越来越昂贵，收获后的损失间接导致温室气体排放增加和气候变化。因此，为减少收获后损失而采用的技术和做法必须具有能源效率，并综合有效的可再生能源解决办法，如生物质能、太阳能光伏、太阳能热能、风力涡轮机、微型/微型水电。在撒哈拉以南非洲，大量损失是由于若干因素造成的，其中包括干燥不足、储存不足、冷却不足和运输不良，所有这些都依赖于高水平的能源投入。由分布式能源供应支持的分散、分布式食品加工不仅可以改善粮食安全，还可以在农村社区提供就业和创收机会。食品的本地加工可以更好地储存和运输，延长保质期，减少季节性供应影响，并生产出具有附加值的产品。该项目旨在提供研究，支持农村社区的商业模式，将低能源和可再生能源投入到食品加工中，最大限度地减少收获后的损失和浪费。

The World Health Organization already estimate that nearly 60% of the world population is malnourished and unless serious measures are not taken to address this then the situation will be exacerbated further. A lot of effort has quite rightly focussed on increasing food production but this is dependent on increased use of valuable resources. The minimisation of losses in the food chain will not only increase the quantity and quality of produce but also reduce energy, water and land use. Postharvest food losses are approximately one third of the total world yield and can be up to 50% in some developing countries.The use of fossil fuels has allowed a greater number of people to be fed and to ensure that the numbers of malnourished are not even worse. Developing countries have high population growth and are increasingly using fossil fuels in food production to meet demands. Energy input is required across the entire food chain and it is estimated that 7-10 calories are required in the production of 1 calorie of food. This is primarily from fossil fuels which will increasingly be more expensive and post-harvest losses indirectly contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. It is therefore essential that technologies and practices adopted to reduce post-harvest losses are energy efficient and integrate effective renewable energy solutions such as biomass, solar PV, solar thermal, wind turbines, micro-/pico-hydropower. In sub-Saharan Africa significant losses are as a result of a number of factors which include insufficient drying, inadequate storage, insufficient cooling and poor transport - all of which rely on high levels of energy input. Decentralised, distributed food processing supported by distributed energy supply can not only improve food security but also provide employment and income generation in rural communities. The local processing of food enables better storage and easier transportation, longer shelf-life, reduced seasonal supply effects, and produces products with added value. The project aims to provide research which will support rural community business models for low and renewable energy input into food processing which minimise post-harvest loss and waste.