SOLAR FOOD PROCESSING

This project proposes a food processing unit as a solution adapted to the local and regional market demand. The totally energy independent unit has two production lines :
- The wet line for pasteurisation, steaming and cooking.
- The dry line for drying.

The wet lines will transform the different seasonal products into nectars, sauces (mangoes, liana fruits, tomatoes, lemon, maracuia etc.) but also into couscous (cassava, cereale graines fonio etc.) The flexibility of the unit is of utmost importance in the solution, since the production of the abovementioned products is highly seasonal.

The products will include tomato sauce. Tomato is found in abundance in the country during three months and the raw material can be purchased for a very cheap bargain, whereas only few months after the tomatoes are sold at equal prices than in Europe. Burkina Faso lacs almost totally any transformation facilities for tomatoes, which are actually exported to neighbouring Ghana for transformation, while Burkina imports the majority of it's tomato sauce consumption!

Furthermore, rapid urbanization causes profound changes in the consuming patterns. the demand for semi transformed products such as cereale grain and manioc couscous.

The other products from the wet line include nectars, which also are seasonally abondant and highly demanded in local and regional markets outside the season.

Dry mangoes will be processed in the drying line only four months per year and sold on the international (particularily European) market where good quality dried mangoes are highly demnded. This will produce important currency income to the country.

The third and long term product is the production unit itself. Indeed, Isomet is specialised in developing and implementation of sustainable food processing units for the local and regional market.
After having proved the efficiency and economic viability of these energy independent production units, there will be need for extension of the technology to cancel the gap between the agricultural production and the high season market.

NB: I have already a solar workshop business but due to tax advantages, this proposal is for a new Business

The production of the dry production line is targeted for the export market. The "Solar Food Processing and Conservation" project has funds for marketing solar dairy products under a new label which will be created to promote goods produced by clean energy.
They will be in charge if the marketing in Europe.

As to the wet production line, we plan to beat the competitors on hygiene and consumer friendly packaging. We can also offer competitive price, since our energy source is FREE!
We will also introduce some new and secret combinations of fruit, which are very attractive for local market and not yet available.
As the products will be ready to sell, we will approach the specific private marketing channels to distribute the production.

Thirdly, the production line itself will be for sale for other businesses wishing to make use of the technology of multifunctional platforms.

If we win the bid, we will employ a sales director who will be in charge of marketing channel coodination and sales.

The most innovative and unique characteristic is AN ENERGY INDEPENDENT FOOD PRODUCTION UNIT !

Until this date no one has been able to propose consumer designed dairy products produced solely with clean energy sources. The clean energy is a marketing argument in Europe, but in Burkina Faso the low price of the product due to inexpensive energy is the strongest sales argument.

Since 2001, I am the Managing director of ISOMET Sarl, leading 11 employees. The references of Isomet Sarl include:
Subcontractor in a EU-funded project on biomass and solar thermal energy applications for agro-industry (BEPITA).
Installation of a solar bakery with a capacity of 500 loaves/day in Zabre, Burkina Faso. Financing by a Finnish NGO.
Installation of a solar shea butter production unit in Tiakane, (BF).
Implementation of a solar hot water system production unit in partnership with a Danish enterprise.
As a subcontractor of Solar Institute Jullich (Germany) ISOMET delivered the parabolas for a solar bakery in Ouagadougou surroundings for 1500 breads daily.
Finalist in the WB development marketplace 2006 with the Rural food processing unit.
Participation in the Solar food processing Project funded by Wisons institute (see www.solarfood.org).
I'm also since January 2002 Country representative of PUM in Burkina Faso

The food security in Burkina Faso is not as much a question of the size of harvest of crop production than it is of the lacking means of food processing for conserving the food crops produced.

A major challenge for rural food processing units has been the availability of energy, since the country suffers from energy insufficiency as an entity, but the problem is even more accurate in rural areas where the crops are grown.

These are reasons why an energy independent and semi-mobile production unit will help to overcome this very serious barrier of development.

Also, a rural food processing unit will provide work and income where it is most needed. Through that, it will help farmers and their youth to stay in the villages in stead of trying unfortunate exode to town. Food processing is also an activity where women are very active, and about 75% of the employment is expected to go to women.

Through improved food production, the families will have a better diet and improve the nutritional health. The income generated will enable parents to put their children to school and to provide better medical care for the whole family.