2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Studies have suggested that there has been little improvement in the nutritional status of the Bangladeshi population over the past 20 years despite significant progress in cereal production. Thus, rates of malnutrition in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world, and undernutrition is exacerbated by low dietary diversity. Bangladesh has a plethora of vegetables, fruits and nuts that are important in daily diets. Horticultural crops are consumed only during a short period due to inadequate storage facilities and transportation means, leading to high percentages of loss. In addition, many smallholder farmers do not have access to sunny land areas to grow horticultural crops due to the prevalence of ponds and other flooded areas. A collaboration between the Horticulture Innovation Lab at the University of California, Davis and the Nutrition Innovation Lab at Tufts University is implementing three technologies with potential to increase the availability of nutritious horticultural crops; a small-scale CoolBot® cold room, a UC Davis Chimney Solar Dryer and Floating Gardens. Cooling is the most efficient way of delaying the spoilage of fresh fruits and vegetables by slowing their metabolic rate. CoolBot® regulated cold rooms, which operate with household type air conditioners, can be installed in rural areas to provide moderate cost cold storage. Drying fruits and vegetables can stabilize and allow for storage of products that have not been sold or consumed due to gluts in supply. The tropical weather of Bangladesh makes the drying process cumbersome with high rates of spoilage due to torrential rains and high air humidity. A UC Davis-invented solar dryer, which has a chimney attached on one end of the drying table, facilitates airflow and reduces drying times while improving the quality of the dried products. The floating garden was developed for use in certain regions of the country where seasonal flooding and aquaculture reduce the land available for cultivation of horticultural crops. The floating garden is placed in sunny spots of household fishponds and can produce adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables for a family. The implementation, operation and economic feasibility of these three technologies will be discussed. Successful adoption of these technologies is expected to support household nutrition and inclusive economic development.