Could this cooler help combat global hunger?
The Evaptainer keeps perishable food fresh for up to two weeks–no electricity required.
About 15 percent of the world’s population lives without electricity. When it comes to meeting this segment of the global population’s needs, solar lights, water filters and cook stoves tend to get the most attention. But the team behind Evaptainers, an electricity-free mobile refrigeration unit, says refrigeration is just as critical to helping small farmers and the rural poor.ù
Without refrigeration, up to 40 percent of produce grown in Africa spoils before it’s eaten—food waste rates similar to regions like North America, only the root cause is different.
An Evaptainer is a lightweight, collapsible storage unit that uses evaporative cooling to keep perishable food fresh for up to two weeks. (The human body uses evaporative cooling to regulate its temperature by sweating.) The inner compartment of the container, a rubbery water-resistant chamber, is enclosed in a moisture-wicking fabric shell.
Two years into the endeavor, the Evaptainers team is close to launching a new version of its product, with plans to roll out hundreds of units within the next year.
Read the full interview with Evaptainers co-founder and CEO Spencer Taylor | by Brittany Shoot via Smithsonian.com.
[Photo via Evaptainers web site]
