2019 ASHS Annual Conference

The rural population of Bangladesh suffers from chronic malnutrition, despite the efforts from the government and the international donors. Climate change results in longer cyclone seasons with erratic weather conditions that reduce the capacity of the local population to secure year-round availability of nutritious foods, such as horticultural crops, which can provide the necessary micronutrients for a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, the lack of accessible, low-cost methods to extend produce shelf-life after harvest reduces off-season consumption of horticultural crops. A number of innovative yet low-cost technologies have been implemented in selected locations in southern Bangladesh. These technologies aim to reduce food losses and extend the availability of nutritious foods while they support the incomes of smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs. Cooling is the most important method of food loss reduction, but is out of reach for most smallholder farmers due to high setup and running costs. The Horticulture Innovation Lab has installed 12 CoolBot-operated cold rooms that act as local, short-term cold storage points. Drying is a popular preservation technique in Bangladesh which often produces lower quality or contaminated products due to high humidity levels. Our team has installed innovative UC Davis-invented solar dryers, which facilitate airflow and reduce drying times while improving the quality of dried products. Seasonal flooding and expansion of aquaculture reduce the availability of suitable locations for family gardens. To provide growing space for such occasions, our team designed an experimental type of a bamboo raft to hold soil-less media for vegetable production, which is floated in the sunny part of fishponds. This technology can combat food insecurity when water levels in the region rise by providing small plant-growing platforms that can be used even during the rainy season. Our team gathers an extensive number of data points including inputs and outputs to extrapolate the profitability prerequisites and potentials for each technology using a UC Davis-developed sustainability model. Based on the preliminary data of this ongoing study, the implementation, operation and scaling of the above technologies supports household nutrition, adequate quality and quantity of food intake, and can potentially reduce illness while supporting inclusive economic development.