In the summer of 2009, Meridian Institute took the Science Team on a field trip to Kenya and Ghana to meet with smallholder farmers and various cassava, dairy, and maize processors. Science Team members were able to observe the cassava, dairy, and maize value chains first hand and generate ideas to improve value chain efficiency. Out of the hundreds of ideas generated, 25 rose to the surface and Science Team members and Value Chain Partners worked to develop these into concepts. These concepts were presented to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in November 2009 and they are summarized below. The concepts are organized around the value chain constraint that they address. Meridian, working with Science Team members and Value Chain Partners, is working to further develop many of the concepts. For more information, please contact Todd Barker or Rex Raimond.
| Concepts |
Time Horizon |
Description |
| Diagnostics |
Reproductive Health Diagnostics |
Medium term |
A rapid, low-cost
test to detect pregnancy and heat in cows |
A Panel Test for Tick-Borne Diseases |
Medium- to
long-term |
A
point-of-care, panel test for ECF, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis capable of
differentially diagnosing the three diseases via visual readout in a single
simple format |
Animal Health Testing |
Medium- to
long-term |
A low-cost,
point-of-care test for mastitis, foot and mouth disease, Blackwater Fever,
and TB |
Milk Quality Testing |
Medium- to
long-term |
Disposable
diagnostics involving a one-step test for fat content and/or non-fat solids
with a semi-quantitative visual readout |
Milk Safety Diagnostics |
Medium- to
long-term |
Two
disposable diagnostics—a bacteria detector coupled with a pH indicator
suitable for rapid analysis of each arriving milk delivery and a qualitative
visual result |
Animal Feed Composition Testing |
Medium-term |
A low-cost
test for point-of-sale testing of animal feed composition |
| Maize Drying & Storage |
Modified Plastic Tank with Dryer Options |
Near-term |
Small-scale,
low-cost maize storage tanks for shelled grain that can be used on farm by
small producers, in local co-ops, or in local facilities, such as
milk-chilling plants and that could be integrated with a low-cost small-scale
drying solution |
Improved Plastic Bag for Maize Storage |
Near-term |
Existing plastic
storage bags treated in situ to prolong the storage of maize |
ISSB Granary |
Near-term |
Interlocking
Stabilized Soil Blocks (ISSB) are the basis of small-scale, low-cost maize
storage granaries for unshelled cobs or storage tanks for shelled grain |
| Milk Quality & Volume |
Bacterial Sieve |
Medium- to
long-term |
A membrane
to filter out bacteria from the raw milk either directly at the farm, at the
intake of the collection point/chilling plant, or while the milk is being
chilled |
Kenya Cargo Cycle |
Near-term |
An entirely new
bicycle designed for cargo that could be built out of local parts and use
local manufacturing capacity |
Milk
Bicycle Racks and Extenders |
Near-term |
An improved rack for existing bicycles that reduces losses
from dropped bottles and increases delivery speed due to more secure
attachment or a frame extender that adapts a conventional bike to carry more
cargo |
Milk Container with Anti-Microbial Properties |
Near-term
using micro-materials |
A set of
stackable milk containers and an associated transport system that efficiently
transports milk and reduces losses from milk spoilage |
Plastic Liner for Milk Transport |
Medium-term |
An individual
use liner that protects milk from contamination during transport |
GeoChiller |
Near-term to
medium-term |
Creates
geothermal cooling system to cool milk and store it safely overnight |
Alternative Refrigeration |
Near-term |
Absorption
refrigerators to cool milk and store it safely overnight |
Rechargeable, Chemical Cooling Packs |
Near-term to medium-term |
Cooling packs that could be dropped in milk to keep the milk
cool during storage and transport and then recharged at the chilling plant |
| Universal Power | Farm Labor Processing | Power |
Universal
Power |
Near-Term |
A universal
interface between available power and simple machines or farm implements |
Power Distribution – Line Shafts and Turntables |
Near-Term |
A turntable
on which would allow a small diesel motor to power a wider range of
implements or a “Flexible Line Drive” |
| Cassava Drying & Processing Efficiency |
Cassava Tuberator |
Medium-Term |
A
small-scale dryer for use in production of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) |
Integrated
Cassava Roaster |
Near-term |
An
integrated cassava roasting pan with built in chimney, firebox, and heat
exchanger to enable excess heat to be used for other purposes (such as a Tuberator
for simultaneous cassava flour roasting) |
Basket
Press |
Near-Term |
Grated
cassava can be handled in smaller batches and moved through the plant in a
basket that is easily carried, and used as a sieve in which to press the
cassava |
| Cassava Decay & Storage |
Water Additives for Cassava Storage |
Medium-term |
Peeled
cassava is stored in tanks (concrete, plastic, metal, etc) that is filled
with water and additives to prevent deterioration |
Ca-Sav-A Bag |
Medium-Term |
Two
component bag liners for cassava that significantly slow deterioration
process by blocking oxygen and consuming existing oxygen within bag |
