Agridev has selected sun-dried tomato as an entry product and works with farmers to adopt good agriculture practices and with women groups to use best manufacturing practices to dry tomatoes on their roofs. Their mission is to diversify local economies by increasing producers and processors’ skills and climate smart production.
In the upstream side, Agridev works by supporting farmers to select appropriate varieties and adopt best irrigation practices to increase the productivity of sun-dried tomatoes through a contract farming approach. In the downstream side, it trains women groups and equips their roofs to process sun-dried tomatoes while adopting proper food safety and handling practices. Sun-dried tomatoes are then packed in oil or in vacuum bags to supply direct consumer or restaurants.
The main beneficiaries are farmers, women, and consumers who focus on buying healthy products.
Agridev worked on this solution because during the peak production season the price of fresh tomato drops with high losses and waste. Farmers are losing with no alternative crops or solutions. Agridev wants to add the value of tomato by using alternative energy that enable affordable processing. The expansion is through women groups processing with proper skills at the same time because the processing season only extends over 45 days. The pilot is with 10 women groups and can grow as the market expands. Agridev aims to turn roofs in northeast Baalbeck into productive roofs providing women a decent income in their households.
Agridev sarl was launched in February 2021.
Their objective is rely on local structures and use alternative energy while educating consumers on the nutritive value of local diets.
