Improving Food Security with Breadfruit processing Enterprises
For over a decade, CTI has been involved in developing an economical, reliable method to extend the shelf-life of breadfruit through commercial processing. Breadfruit is a high-carbohydrate fruit that is abundant in many tropical nations struggling with hunger and malnutrition, but because it begins rotting immediately after harvest, breadfruit is often overlooked as a food source. However, with the right tools, breadfruit can be preserved for years once shredded, dried and ground into gluten-free flour. For many island nations, including Haiti, locally produced breadfruit flour could replace imported cereals and increase food security.
CTI engineers, in collaboration with engineering students from the University of Saint Thomas, have designed a manual processing system—a shredder, dryer, and grinder—that can be used in impoverished communities to make breadfruit flour. The breadfruit processing system will go through rigorous tests at the Breadfruit Institute to demonstrate the equipment’s functionality and economic viability. When a sustainable economic model is developed, the system will be deployed to impoverished communities in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
Creating practical CTI was formed in 1981 by a group of volunteers who used their skills and knowledge to help people in developing countries become more self-sufficient. 30 years, dozens of countries, and thousands of pieces of equipment later, CTI has grown and evolved, but our vision has remained the same: a world in which all people have adequate nutritious food and clean water. CTI is marking its 30th anniversary with a new logo, a new tagline, and in 2012, a new website. Thank you to our volunteers and donors who helped CTI reach this important milestone! |
Breadfruit Dryer Contest
CTI and The University of Saint Thomas have announced a contest to select two 2-3 person teams to design, build and deliver a breadfruit drying structure to the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) in Kauai, Hawaii this March.
A simple, innovative, cost effective, and scalable dryer is sought.
The contest is open to everyone, and the winning teams will be chosen based on the creative capacity of the team and the skill set to build and deliver the dryer to NTBG for use by the Breadfruit Institute in an initiative in collaboration with Compatible Technology International to address critical global food security issues by promoting the use of breadfruit for food and reforestation.
The first and second place teams will win $3,000 and $500 prizes, and both teams will win a trip to Hawaii to demonstrate their design at the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Teams must send notice of their intent to submit by January 15, 2012 to Camille George at: cmgeorge@stthomas.edu. Click here (6MB PDF) for the full contest rules and submission requirements.
 |