Shelf life extension to reduce tomato waste in Nigeria
Background
The ‘Pick, Store, Buy’ project
Nigeria is the largest producer of tomatoes in West Africa and the 14th highest producer in the world. The country produces 1.8 million tonnes of tomatoes each year. Yet 50% of that yield is lost to rot and never reaches consumers or processors. Much of this is down to inadequate storage facilities. There is a high in-country demand for tomatoes too with 2.2 million consumed each year, leading to additional import costs.
It’s estimated that the tomato losses cost the country $15 billion annually.
To reduce post-harvest losses, the ADAS Horticulture team worked with producers to develop a practical, low energy shelf life prediction and extension tool. The technology needed to give producers the ability to predict and report the expected remaining shelf-life for individual tomato batches. It also had to work for a non-cool environment. Traditional cooling is not only very energy intensive and expensive to run in high climates, it requires constant energy. Not all locations in Nigeria have stable energy access.
Product viability was also a challenge. Tomatoes are grown and sold by many smallholders over a large area. The growing conditions, storage and transport distance can all vary.
This project closely aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 12.3 to halve per capita global food waste by 2030.
Actions taken
The ADAS team collaborated with three other businesses in the project, each providing their own unique expertise – PST Sensors Europe and two Nigerian government organisations; National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO).
Ethelene scrubbing
The procurement of Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO) air purification units meant the storage temperature could be raised above commercial storage conditions for tomatoes (10-12C). They also reduced the overall energy consumed by scrubbing etylene to slow down fruit ripening. The PCO units were sized to ensure the air within the storage facility passes through the unit multiple times an hour. This helped to ensure ethylene levels remained low while also eliminating air-borne pathogens.
Microsensors
So produce condition could be monitored, rubber microelectronic sensors travelled with the produce from the field to the storage unit. They measured temperature, humidity, and ethylene concentration. When this data was fed through an ADAS prediction model, it identified which batches had to be sold first.
Results and impact
The project created a unique shelf life extension system that senses the biological status of fresh produce. As well as drastically decreasing waste, the business model was built with knowledge exchange at its core. The accessible, innovative, and affordable technology resulting from this project will go on to help create new higher skilled jobs for the agri-food sector.
Project lead
Islam Abdel-Aziz
Horticulture Consultant – ADAS Sustainable Agricultural Systems