Breadfruit
is a high-carbohydrate fruit that grows in
abundance in tropical nations that struggle with
hunger and poverty. Breadfruit has been long
recognized for its potential to alleviate hunger
in countries like Haiti, but there's just one
problem: fresh breadfruit rots in 48 hours.
But
if poor communities were able to make flour out of
breadfruit, locally produced breadfruit flour
could replace expensive imported cereals and
increase food security.
Compatible
Technology International (CTI), with help from a
team of engineers, researchers and breadfruit
experts, is developing a set of tools that will allow
villagers to process breadfruit into shelf-stable
flour.
Shredder
CTI
has designed a manually-operated shredder that
shreds breadfruit into small strips that are
optimally shaped for quick drying. Engineers at
CTI and the University of Saint Thomas (UST)
reached the current shredder design after testing
other concepts with communities in
Haiti.
Drier
After
they are shredded, the breadfruit strips must be
dried quickly to prevent spoiling. To source the
best technologies for this crucial step, UST
recently organized and judged a contest challenging teams to
develop a simple, effective and affordable
breadfruit drying structure.
The
first place winner of
the contest is a team of long-time CTI volunteers,
and second place is a team from the University of
California, Davis. In March, both teams will
travel to Hawaii to present their designs at the
Breadfruit Institute,
a division of the National Tropical Botanical
Garden.
Grinder
Once
dried, breadfruit strips can easily be ground into
flour by villagers using CTI's grinder. The breadfruit
processing system will go through rigorous tests
at the Breadfruit Institute before being deployed
in the Caribbean.
Breadfruit
flour could be an important microenterprise
opportunity and an untapped source of nutrition
for food insecure communities. With your help, we can get these and
other innovations into the hands of the
communities that need
them.
