In 2019, Beatrice Kimani, then a 26-year-old census enumerator, witnessed firsthand the struggles small-scale farmers faced in preserving their fresh produce due to a lack of affordable cooling facilities.
This experience sparked her interest in finding a solution to post-harvest losses, a challenge that forces many farmers to sell their produce at throwaway prices or suffer significant wastage.
Now a postgraduate student in Biosystems Engineering at the University of Nairobi (UoN), Kimani has developed Kimani Box Levfresh, an innovative, low-cost storage solution designed to extend the freshness of fruits and vegetables without relying on expensive refrigeration.
Her journey, fueled by research, collaboration, and mentorship, has led to the creation of a simple yet effective storage system that promises to revolutionize post-harvest management for small-scale farmers and fresh produce vendors across Kenya.
“This approach was becoming hectic because it needed much wax for coating the produce and at some point, the outcome was a thick covering layer which was not that pleasing,” said Kimani.
So she resorted to beeswax cloth in a bid to try and improve on the idea, but this too was not effective in preserving the fresh produce as expected.
Luckily for the UoN Biosystems Engineering postgraduate student, Professor Duncan Mbuge, her supervisor and former chairman at the university’s Biosystems Engineering Department, took advantage of an MoU between UoN and the United Kingdom’s University of Birmingham to facilitate an introduction that would see her improve on the innovation.
“He connected me with Dr. Daniel Hefft and Prakash Korde (Director of Valueform Limited UK), like-minded individuals who were equally passionate about advancing post-harvest management. It was as a result of this dynamic collaboration that the spark of the idea truly ignited,” said Kimani.
Prakash not only came up with a fresh idea to improve on the innovation but also serves as its financial advisor and mentor, while Hefft, another originator of the fresh idea, had conducted similar tests in the UK with an eye on export purposes.
A year later, after several lab tests on the fresh idea using various fresh produce such as tomatoes, flowers, avocados, mangoes, pumpkin leaves, and pears that gave satisfactory results, the team came up with an actual setup.
Kimani Box Levfresh
The tests birthed what the team decided to name Kimani Box Levfresh, a simple setup made of two boxes, one inside the other, and in between them is an insulating material (a poor conductor of heat), preferably dry grass.
The inner box, on the other hand, has ethylene gas inhibitors in small biodegradable bags placed at the bottom and the sides to create a middle space where fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables are put.
“This arrangement uses the concept of insulation. It ensures that no heat is being produced due to the absence of ethylene gas; hence, the produce can stay fresh for up to 48 days as the boxes are also left open,” said Kimani.
She says the boxes are made from recycled cartons that make the setup affordable for small-scale users. This is in addition to the gas inhibitors, which are used for a lifetime just by changing the bags or removing and sun drying them for reuse.
“We can set it up for our home and commercial users at about Ksh1,000 besides training them on how they can use and maintain it for lifetime use, but full rollout will be early next year,” she said, adding that the amount of produce to be preserved depends on the size of the boxes and the number of ethylene gas inhibitors used.
However, she says they are currently still focusing on small-scale home users and fresh produce vendors, hoping for more sponsors aboard so that they may be able to improve on the research and accommodate large-scale users or consumers.
Funding
According to Kimani, so far, the project cost is estimated at over Ksh1 million, funds that have come from her partners following the MoU between UoN and UK’s Valueform Limited to address post-harvest losses.
In addition, the project has won a £15,000 grant from UK Innovate, the UK’s national innovation agency that supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies, and UK regions.
As a new product, Kimani Box Levfresh has had to go through trials and tests with target users to confirm its workability.
“We have been encouraged by the good results from our first users. For tomato farmers, their produce was able to stay fresh for up to 48 days, avocado farmers recorded 14-16 days of freshness for their produce,” she said.
It has also recorded 14-16 days of freshness for mangoes, roses, and pumpkin leaves, among others.
“The demonstrations have given exceptional results; the insulated Kimani Box Levfresh far surpassed the industry-standard 14-day freshness requirement for preserving fresh produce.”
Paul Kariuki, a tomato farmer from Mwea, Kirinyaga County, who took part in the trials, says the setup works well as it could keep his freshly harvested tomatoes in the same condition for over two weeks.
“The only thing I discovered is that overripe or damaged tomatoes by pests, diseases, or otherwise are not fit for preservation by the box, as they release water in the setup, making it unsafe for other good fruits,” said Kariuki.
The box can be used 6 to 9 times, while the gas inhibitors are used for a lifetime just by changing the bags or removing and sun drying them for reuse.
Post-harvest losses
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines post-harvest losses (PHL) as measurable losses in edible food mass (quantity) or nutritional value (quality) of food intended for human consumption.
The problem of post-harvest loss is especially acute for horticultural crops. A recent review of an International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) report indicates that most loss estimates for these crops range from just over 20 percent to 35 percent.
Kimani Box Levfresh is an innovation in the sector that seeks to cater to both small-scale and large-scale fresh produce handlers who, for years, have shied away from high-cost cooling facilities that also rely on costly energy sources to operate.
“As a result of this simple innovation, we have got exposure through showcasing it in some agri-events in the country, besides traveling overseas to learn and exchange knowledge with other scholars for growth,” said Kimani.
One of the major challenges the innovators are now facing is the limited funds to improve the setup and reach large-scale users, mostly fruit and vegetable vendors who are very willing and interested in buying.
“Currently, we are trying to push the message out there, hoping more partners will come on board to support the innovation and help our producers reduce post-harvest losses and improve on food security,” said Kimani.
The other challenge is the lack of backing and support by leading agricultural organizations such as the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), among others, to associate with the product to boost its acceptance by farmers.
“This will boost the product’s credibility among farmers and other value chain players who are poised to benefit largely,” said Kimani.
