Abstract
• This article describes the design and deployment of a passive cooling system in sub-Saharan Africa. • The cooling system significantly lowered temperature and increased humidity. • Locally grown tomatoes stored inside the cooling blanket showed an increased shelf life by 2 days. • The system's low upfront cost and scalability allow it to be utilized by farmers in various settings, including on farms, in transit on motorcycles and at markets. • The effect of various irrigation regimes and harvest at various ripening stages on postharvest performance in the cooling blanket where successfully tested. In sub-Saharan Africa, >40 % of fruit and vegetables are lost between farm and consumer. Cooling produce after harvest is key to reducing these losses. Passive evaporative cooling offers a promising solution, particularly for smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries, but challenges related to cost, scalability and complexity limit its adoption. To address these challenges, we developed the charcoal cooling blanket (CCB), an affordable and scalable solution for storing fresh produce. In a pilot study in the Ugandan tomato supply chain, we tested the CCB against natural shade to improve tomato storage and transport. We also evaluated pre-harvest factors such as ripening stage and irrigation scheduling and post-harvest attributes such as weight, firmness, colour, soluble solids content (SSC) and acidity. CCB reduced the average ambient temperature by 1.5 °C, with a maximum reduction of up to 20 °C during the hottest periods. Relative humidity increased by 10 %, reducing tomato shrinkage. Storage in the CCB resulted in up to 10 % less weight loss, 20 % less firmness loss, slower colour change and a 4 % increase in the SSC/pH ratio compared to ambient conditions. Moderate water stress during cultivation combined with CCB storage reduced weight loss in green tomatoes by 17 %. Overall, CCB increased the quality index and shelf life of tomatoes by up to 60 %. The CCB has shown significant potential for reducing post-harvest losses, making it a viable option for preserving fresh produce and improving food security in low- and middle-income countries.
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
The charcoal cooling blanket was developed as an affordable scalable fresh produce storage system.
Not reportedTaxonValue
Verbatim
e0“we developed the charcoal cooling blanket (CCB), an affordable and scalable solution for storing fresh produce.”
Claim · model-written summary
Tomatoes stored inside the blanket had shelf life increased by 2 days.
- Taxon
- tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Treatment
- stored inside the cooling blankete0
- Outcome
- shelf lifee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 2 dayse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Locally grown tomatoes stored inside the cooling blanket showed an increased shelf life by 2 days.”
Claim · model-written summary
The cooling system significantly lowered temperature.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The cooling system significantly lowered temperature and increased humidity.”
Claim · model-written summary
CCB reduced average ambient temperature by 1.5 °C.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“CCB reduced the average ambient temperature by 1.5 °C, with a maximum reduction of up to 20 °C during the hottest periods.”
Claim · model-written summary
CCB reduced temperature by up to 20 °C during the hottest periods.
- Treatment
- CCBe0
- Outcome
- temperaturee0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 20 °Ce0
- Qualifier
- during the hottest periodse0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“CCB reduced the average ambient temperature by 1.5 °C, with a maximum reduction of up to 20 °C during the hottest periods.”
Claim · model-written summary
Relative humidity increased by 10% with CCB.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Relative humidity increased by 10 %, reducing tomato shrinkage.”
e1“CCB reduced the average ambient temperature”
Claim · model-written summary
Increased humidity reduced tomato shrinkage.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- tomato shrinkagee0
- Direction
- reducinge0
- Qualifier
- Relative humidity increased by 10 %e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Relative humidity increased by 10 %, reducing tomato shrinkage.”
Claim · model-written summary
CCB storage caused up to 10% less tomato weight loss than ambient conditions.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Storage in the CCBe0
- Outcome
- weight losse0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Value
- 10 %e0
- Qualifier
- up toe0
- Comparator
- ambient conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Storage in the CCB resulted in up to 10 % less weight loss, 20 % less firmness loss, slower colour change and a 4 % increase in the SSC/pH ratio compared to ambient conditions.”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
CCB storage caused 20% less tomato firmness loss than ambient conditions.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Storage in the CCBe0
- Outcome
- firmness losse0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Value
- 20 %e0
- Comparator
- ambient conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Storage in the CCB resulted in up to 10 % less weight loss, 20 % less firmness loss, slower colour change and a 4 % increase in the SSC/pH ratio compared to ambient conditions.”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
CCB storage slowed tomato colour change relative to ambient conditions.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Storage in the CCBe0
- Outcome
- colour changee0
- Direction
- slowere0
- Comparator
- ambient conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Storage in the CCB resulted in up to 10 % less weight loss, 20 % less firmness loss, slower colour change and a 4 % increase in the SSC/pH ratio compared to ambient conditions.”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
CCB storage increased tomato SSC/pH ratio by 4% compared to ambient conditions.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Storage in the CCBe0
- Outcome
- SSC/pH ratioe0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 4 %e0
- Comparator
- ambient conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Storage in the CCB resulted in up to 10 % less weight loss, 20 % less firmness loss, slower colour change and a 4 % increase in the SSC/pH ratio compared to ambient conditions.”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Moderate cultivation water stress combined with CCB storage reduced green tomato weight loss by 17%.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Organ / stage
- greene0
- Treatment
- Moderate water stress during cultivation combined with CCB storagee0
- Outcome
- weight losse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 17 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Moderate water stress during cultivation combined with CCB storage reduced weight loss in green tomatoes by 17 %.”
Claim · model-written summary
CCB increased tomato quality index and shelf life by up to 60%.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- CCBe0
- Outcome
- quality index and shelf lifee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 60 %e0
- Qualifier
- up toe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Overall, CCB increased the quality index and shelf life of tomatoes by up to 60 %.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude CCB is viable for preserving produce and improving food security in low- and middle-income countries.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- CCBe0
- Outcome
- viable option for preserving fresh produce and improving food securitye0
- Setting
- low- and middle-income countriese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The CCB has shown significant potential for reducing post-harvest losses, making it a viable option for preserving fresh produce and improving food security in low- and middle-income countries.”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The system's low cost and scalability support use on farms, motorcycles and markets.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- utilized by farmers in various settingse0
- Qualifier
- low upfront cost and scalabilitye0
- Setting
- on farms, in transit on motorcycles and at marketse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The system's low upfront cost and scalability allow it to be utilized by farmers in various settings, including on farms, in transit on motorcycles and at markets.”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation regimes and harvest ripening stages were successfully tested for postharvest performance in the blanket.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- various irrigation regimes and harvest at various ripening stagese0
- Outcome
- postharvest performancee0
- Qualifier
- successfully testede0
Not reportedValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The effect of various irrigation regimes and harvest at various ripening stages on postharvest performance in the cooling blanket where successfully tested.”
t0“tomato”
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