History
Compatible Technology International (CTI) was founded in 1981 by a group of missionaries, and research engineers and General Mills food scientists as a unique non-profit volunteer organization devoted to alleviating hunger and poverty and promoting food security in the developing world. Since its inception, CTI has addressed the post-harvest side of the food chain. The original team sought ways in which their knowledge and expertise might help the poor in developing countries to resolve food problems and increase food supply by using local resources. Serious attention has long beenpaid by many others to seeds, fertilizers and irrigation for cultivating crops, but much less thought has been accorded to farmers’ post harvest needs to store, transport, and process the crops following harvest. This continues to be CTI’s focus. In addition, CTI now also focuses on adding value to harvested foods and creating food formulations to improve nutrition.
Rather than simply feeding the world’s most impoverished people, CTI develops, builds and distributes post-harvest technologies that help people feed themselves with greater predictability and nutrition. Our low-tech tools are compatible with, and adapted to, the diverse cultures and environments in which they are deployed around the world.
Early Projects
The first program stop for CTI was in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh where a village-based
potato dehydration program was introduced. Potatoes are typically harvested in March. Since a large percentage of the potatoes rot before they can be sold it was important to find a way to extend their shelf life. CTI, along with a partner in India, developed a peeler and slicer and a method to dry to the potatoes. This allowed the potatoes to be sold over several months.
Complementing this idea was the rustic store, a sturdy structure having a slat floor over a pool of water with thatch or ventilated roof. Potatoes can be kept fresh in the moist air for as long as four months, adding significantly to value received by farmers.
From India, which continues to be a major site for CTI operations, opportunities in Central America opened up where over two decades of food programs have been carried out. In Guatemala, CTI volunteers worked with the Jalapa branch of CARE International to find a way to reduce the staggering loss of half of the corn crop.
A CTI volunteer invented a small sheller made from wood and studs. Then farmers were taught to make simple sheds which keep the corn of the ground, away from rodents.
And finally, metal silos, fabricated by local artisans, trained by CTI volunteers, provided reliable storage for the corn crop. These were financed through a women’s micro-finance lending program. A method of financing that we continue to explore and encourage today. CARE spun off its Jalapa branch and it is now a thriving, independent non-profit organization, thanks in part to CTI.
Sustaining Projects
Both models use nearly identical burrs, bearings, and augers and consequently have similar performance. The grinders are used to process groundnuts (most common are peanuts), grains, corn, coffee and breadfruit. They can be powered by hand, bicycle or electric motor.
The model manufactured in Uganda is the result 
of a joint venture with AT Uganda, an NGO based in Kampala, funded by a McKnight grant. The goal was to improve rural nutrition and promote income generation in 10 districts in Uganda. There are many other grinders sold in Africa, but the CTI grinder proved to be of better quality and greatly superior to other available imported grinders.
The price of the grinder continues to be a deterrent for some and CTI engineers continue to find ways to reduce the cost without sacrificing quality. In fact, a wooden version of the grinder has been under development for about a year. This would reduce shipping costs and may even allow local wood to be used to construct the grinder with the rest of the parts shipped from the US.
Looking Forward
Many of the world’s people live on the produce of a hectare or less of land. Often the difference between abject poverty and a sustainable life is how the meager produce of that scrap of land is processed, stored, and even marketed. This is just a sample of the many ways CTI has touched lives around the globe. By sharing our knowledge and resources, CTI is helping untold thousands of people maximize their production, leading to healthier more productive lives.