Food systems

Improved crop storage for greater food security

Brief description of the project

hermetic storage bags enable smallholder households to protect their stored harvest from pests and mold and thus combat hunger. So far, only a few farmers have made use of this option. We are testing how distribution can be increased through deferred payment or VAT exemption. Our field trials show that these measures increase demand for the bags by a factor of 3.7 and enable 77% of farmers to buy them. Our aim now is to scale up the tested solutions sustainably and simplify access to the bags.

hermetic storage bags improve the food security of smallholder families by extending the storage period and quantity, as our field research has documented.

Project goals

• Smallholder households benefit from deferred payment when purchasing hermetic harvest bags, which alleviates liquidity bottlenecks.
• hermetic storage bags are exempt from VAT, making them more affordable.
• Smallholder households have better local access to buying hermetic harvest bags, which reduces transportation costs.
• Smallholders’ awareness of hermetic storage is increased, which boosts demand.