Chapter Eight - Zero-energy evaporative cooling technology and the prospective for fresh produce postharvest handling most especially for the preservation of fruits and vegetable

Abstract

There has been an increased demand for fruits and vegetables, this has been attributed to the increased awareness of their nutritional value. These crops are highly perishable and prone to spoilage. The lack of storage facilities due to their energy intensive and expensive nature is a major challenge faced by farmers. zero-energy evaporative system is a sustainable solution to this challenge as it does not require any energy input to function. This technology is also cost-effective and can be set up from locally available materials such as grass, sand, clay, ropes, and sack. The use of this technology can reduce the loss of fruits and vegetables. However, this technology has not been adopted on a large scale, by farmers.