Annually, about 35%, or 40 million tons, of its fresh produce never reaches consumers, leading to a staggering economic loss of $13 billion. This loss is primarily due to the lack of adequate refrigeration and poor connectivity to markets, Koel Fresh’s solar-powered cold room aims to tackle this
In the agricultural heartlands around Rourkela, an innovative agri-cleantech initiative is taking root, transforming rural livelihoods. Koel Fresh, in collaboration with local women’s federations, is setting up solar-powered cold storage facilities at strategic farm gates and markets. This initiative is powered by the ‘Your Virtual Cold-Chain Assistant’ (Your VCCA) solution, which includes the Coldtivate mobile application to streamline inventory management, enhance post-harvest handling, and gather market intelligence through a pioneering Cooling-as-a-Service (CaaS) business model.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
Addressing Post-Harvest Food Loss in Eastern India
India faces a monumental challenge: annually, about 35%, or 40 million tons, of its fresh produce never reaches consumers, leading to a staggering economic loss of $13 billion. This loss is primarily due to the lack of adequate refrigeration and poor connectivity to markets, particularly in eastern India. Koel Fresh’s initiative aims to mitigate this through technology-driven solutions.
After detailed field research in the Sundargarh district, Koel Fresh identified critical gaps in the existing infrastructure:
- Scarcity of decentralized storage facilities
- Inadequate access to grid power
- Prohibitive initial investment and high operational costs
- Insufficient data on optimal locations for cold storage units
- Non-sustainable business models resulting in underused assets
Innovative Solar-Powered Cold Rooms
To combat these issues, Koel Fresh proposes the installation of small, solar-powered cold rooms across Rourkela. These facilities are intended to serve multiple local market yards and farm gates, avoiding the inefficiencies of large, centralized storage units. The cold rooms will operate on a cluster-based model, with capacities ranging from 5 to 30 metric tons, strategically placed to maximize accessibility and efficiency.
Local community members, particularly women from vulnerable backgrounds, are being trained to operate these units. This approach not only helps preserve perishable goods but also empowers local communities by providing them with sustainable employment opportunities and technical skills.
These solar-powered cold rooms are accessible on a pay-per-use basis, making advanced cooling technology affordable for small-scale farmers and vendors without the burden of significant upfront costs. This model not only preserves produce but also substantially increases the income of local vendors by reducing the need for distress selling.
Dibyajyoti Parida, the Hon. Commissioner and CEO of Rourkela Smart City, highlights the broader implications of this project: “Climate change solutions, women’s empowerment, and social inclusion are at the heart of this initiative, bolstering the local economy significantly in the wake of COVID-19 and beyond. We are optimistic that our model will inspire similar transformations across India, establishing Rourkela as a benchmark for rural innovation.”
The Coldtivate app
The Koel Fresh initiative is pioneering a transformative approach to agricultural storage in India with its state-of-the-art Coldtivate mobile app. Developed collaboratively by BASE and Empa as part of the Your VCCA program, this app simplifies the operation and management of cold storage facilities and enriches their utility.
The Coldtivate app is designed to streamline the operations of cold room facilities, offering two pivotal functionalities aimed at modernizing the agricultural storage sector. First, it automates the log-in and log-out procedures for crates, effectively digitizing what has traditionally been a manual process. Second, the app leverages real-time sensor data to predict the remaining shelf life of stored crops, providing critical insights that help operators maximize freshness and minimize waste. These features not only enhance operational efficiency but also offer a significant leap toward more sustainable farming practices.
In addition to these capabilities, the app also includes a pricing module that forecasts crop market prices across Indian markets. This indispensable tool supplies local farmers, vendors, and hawkers with real-time price data, greatly improving their ability to make informed and timely business decisions.
Furthermore, Koel Fresh has embraced a servitization business model, termed Cooling-as-a-Service, which revolutionizes how cooling services are delivered. Under this model, farmers pay only for the storage they need without the burden of owning and maintaining the infrastructure. This not only makes cold storage more accessible and cost-effective but also ensures that the equipment is well-maintained by the provider, thereby sustaining high performance over the long term. The Coldtivate app plays a pivotal role in this ecosystem by increasing process transparency and fostering trust among all stakeholders involved.
Through these strategic interventions, Koel Fresh not only aims to revolutionize food storage in Rourkela but also set a precedent for rural economic development powered by sustainable technology across India. The hope is that this model will scale nationally, mitigating food waste and enhancing livelihoods through cleaner, smarter agricultural practices.
Lead image courtesy of CAAS Initiative
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