Sustainable Food Drying Techniques in Developing Countries: Prospects and Challenges

Globally we produce enough food to meet the nutritional requirement of every human being. However, almost one-third of annually produced food is wasted due to improper post-farm processing, leaving almost 13 percent of the population hungry on a daily basis. In developing countries, in particular, there is significant waste of seasonal fruits, vegetables and grains. A number of factors, including inadequate preservation facilities, lack of food preservation knowledge among key stakeholders (e.g., farmers and producers), and inadequate initiatives from governments and NGOs alike contribute to this acute problem. In the food production supply chain, the post-processing stage is responsible for around 25-40 percent of total food waste. Food drying techniques have substantiated themselves as effective means of reducing post-harvest losses. However, drying alone consumes 20-25 percent of the energy used in food processing, which makes it essential to identify sustainable drying techniques to reduce global food waste. Sustainable Food Drying Techniques in Developing Countries provides a critical analysis of the common drying techniques used in developing countries and compares their total energy requirements. It proposes renewable energy-based efficient food drying techniques for these countries and discusses effective ways to improve food preservation conditions. Finally, the text seeks to address potential challenges in implementing the proposed renewable energy-based food drying techniques. By investigating current food drying techniques in developing countries and proposing sustainable alternatives, the authors hope to contribute to the ongoing research on developing feasible food drying solutions.