Charlton, Adam

English

Post harvest losses are caused by freshproduce spoilage during transportationfrom the farm to the market, whichtypically results from the use ofsub-optimal packaging materials.These losses have a significant impacton food security, as well as farmerincomes, in East Africa. In Uganda's fruitand vegetable sector, it is estimated that30-40 per cent of fresh produce is wastedthrough post harvest losses, rising to 60per cent for tomatoes

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   PRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY  Producing sustainable packaging from agricultural wasteCharlton, AdamPublished: 01/01/2020Cyswllt i'r cyhoeddiad / Link to publicationDyfyniad o'r fersiwn a gyhoeddwyd / Citation for published version (APA):Charlton, A. (2020). Producing sustainable packaging from agricultural waste: Producingsustainable packaging from agricultural waste. (Autumn 2020 ed.)Hawliau Cyffredinol / General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/orother copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legalrequirements associated with these rights.            • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of privatestudy or research.            • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain            • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ?Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access tothe work immediately and investigate your claim. 25. Nov. 2020Contact: Bangor University w: www.bangor.ac.uk t: 01248 388072  e: adam.charlton@bangor.ac.ukBangorOnce maize has been harvested for its grain, residues such as stalks and leaves are left behind, and this is known as maize stover. It is typically ploughed back or left in the fields as crop mulch, or used as fuel and livestock feed. There are currently no higher value outlets for maize stover, but a proportion of this material could be diverted from more traditional uses without affecting soil fertility. iAGRICULTURE & FOOD6AdvancesAdvances WalesProducing sustainable packaging from agricultural wasteResearchers from Bangor University are creating sustainable food packaging from maize to reduce post harvest losses.Post harvest losses are caused by fresh produce spoilage during transportation from the farm to the market, which typically results from the use of  sub-optimal packaging materials.  These losses have a significant impact on food security, as well as farmer incomes, in East Africa. In Uganda's fruit and vegetable sector, it is estimated that 30-40 per cent of fresh produce is wasted through post harvest losses, rising to 60 per cent for tomatoes. The Stoverpack project involves researchers from Bangor University’s Biocomposites Centre collaborating with UK company NER Ltd, as well as Ugandan partners Makerere University, Musa Body Machinery and Oribags Innovations. The project seeks to address issues around post harvest losses of fresh produce in Uganda by manufacturing sustainable packaging from maize stover residues, creating a new value chain for this waste material.Among the population of Uganda, 84 per cent of people live in rural areas of the country and 82 per cent of the workforce are employed in agriculture. However, around 41 per cent of the population is undernourished. Women are highlighted as being especially food insecure, despite the fact that they comprise a majority of the agricultural workforce.Maize is the country’s most important cereal crop, providing a significant portion of the calories consumed in both rural and urban areas. This crop is grown in every part of the country and provides a direct source of income for many households, traders and millers. Increasingly, maize has become a major non-traditional export cash crop, particularly benefitting smallholdings (small farms). It is therefore extremely important to many households for both food security and income. The Stoverpack project is exploring the feasibility of a commercial facility in Uganda that will use maize stover to produce pulp moulded packaging for eggs, tomatoes, and other fruit and vegetables. By establishing novel pulping and packaging technologies, the project aims to reduce waste, boost farmer incomes and create new jobs in the biobased packaging sector. The resultant sustainable packaging is expected to reduce post harvest losses during transportation, thereby improving food security. It will also offer consumers the opportunity to purchase produce in packaging that is made from an alternative to conventional plastics. There will be an additional focus on integrating female-led smallholdings into the new supply chains (harvesting, storing, processing and converting maize stover into packaging) and on providing training and new job opportunities for female agricultural workers in partnership with the Ugandan industry and academic partners. 

Producing sustainable packaging from agricultural waste:Producing sustainable packaging from agricultural waste

https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/files/35938396/201028_Advances94_English_P6.pdf

Producing sustainable packaging from agricultural waste:Producing sustainable packaging from agricultural waste

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