Agricultural post-harvest sustainability through the development of Low-Cost Zero Energy Cooling Chambers (ZECC) – A case study of tomatoes

Abstract

Food security is a big challenge for low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan due to climate change, lack of sustainable agricultural practices, and post-harvest losses. Post-harvest losses (20–50%) are the most significant economic barrier for Pakistan's small and marginal farmers with limited financial resources. Highly perishable commodities such as tomatoes are more vulnerable to spoilage and deterioration, especially during the food supply chain. As a result, they require immediate cooling after harvesting to slow down the ripening process and maintain sensory quality to facilitate supply to the market. Considering the issues above, the current study aimed to develop cooling chambers that require no energy to operate, allowing small farmers to store perishable goods for a shorter time. Zero Energy Cooling Chambers (ZECCs) was built with inexpensive raw materials, such as bricks, sand, and bamboo. ZECCs were successful in maintaining a lower temperature and higher RH compared to the harsh ambient environment. To investigate the dimensional effects of ZECC on tomatoes, four chambers of varying dimensions (selected at random) were built. Nutritional profiles of tomatoes were assessed by storing them inside and outside ZECC; based on this profiling, it was observed that the tomatoes stored in ZECC showed better keeping quality and higher shelf life than those held at ambient temperature.