After 9 years of working tirelessly to develop, commercialize and promote essential technologies to help reduce post-harvest losses in Ghana, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss (PHLIL) is finally drawing the curtains on its work in Ghana. We are excited to announce that Sesi Technologies is taking over to build on the lab’s work and deliver impact to as many farmers as possible. 

A Brief History of PHLIL and Sesi Technologies’ Collaboration

Feed the Future is the US Government’s global hunger and food security initiative to combat hunger and malnutrition. The initiative also seeks to improve and transform the way the food systems work in developing countries and equip people with the knowledge and tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty through agriculture, trade and investment.

As part of fulfilling this mandate, the Feed the Future Innovation Labs were established. The Innovation Labs draw on the expertise of top U.S. universities and developing country research institutions to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges in agriculture and food security. The Feed The Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss (PHLIL) in Kansas State University was one of 21 Innovation Labs established.

In 2014, PHLIL partnered with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of its efforts to explore solutions that had the potential to reduce post-harvest loss within the grain value chain. One of the solutions the collaboration explored was the PHL Moisture Meter which eventually became the GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter. 

 The PHL Moisture Meter, which makes it easy for farmers to accurately measure the moisture content of their grains before storage, was originally developed by Paul Armstrong, a research engineer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  By 2017,  Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss at Kansas State University had partnered with Sesi Technologies to improve, adapt and scale this effective solution to farmers and people across the value chain to manage postharvest losses. 

Recognizing the importance of effective storage solutions in mitigating post-harvest losses, PHLIL again worked with Sesi Technologies to introduce to the ZeroFly Hermetic Storage Bag, a new effective hermetic storage technology that protects grains from both internal and external pests.

The PHLIL Handing Over Workshop

What This Means To Us

Having been on the frontlines together with PHLIL in developing and validating these solutions, we consider it both a great responsibility and honour to continue the work we started together. We represent a new order of sustainability when it comes to scaling technologies developed through development organizations.

It also presents us with the unique opportunity to establish ourselves as the leader in delivering post-harvest management solutions in and beyond Ghana and we look forward to taking on the reins and leading the charge to scale these essential technologies

As much as 30% of food produced is lost after harvest, and it is through the use of technologies such as the GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter and ZeroFly Hermetic bag that we can significantly reduce these losses, unlock greater value for the value chain, and reduce agriculture’s contribution to climate change.

Photos from the Handover event