In Southeast Asia and Africa, several innovative renewable materials are being used to help prevent food waste and spoilage after harvest, a major cause of hunger in the populous region.
Foodtank.com notes that it is particularly important for these products to be deployable by small-scale farmers.
Among eight solutions highlighted by the publication, two are biobased. FrutiPlast produces a biodegradable film from tropical fruit waste flour using technology developed by Universiti Sains Malaysia. The film costs 10% less than incumbent plastic wrap and breaks down in six months. Also in Malaysia, the Centre of Excellence for postharvest Biotechnology at the University of Nottingham Malaysia have found that gum arabic extracted from acacia trees can be used to make an edible coating that extends the shelf life of tomatoes.