We’ve talked a bit about sustainability and impact in previous blog posts. KinoSol tracks the work we do and the impact we have in communities across the globe. This allows us to ensure we have sustainable programs, and we are making a positive impact. We’re proud to share these impact numbers with you, through our 2019 Annual Report!
2019 Activities
- Domestic Dehydrator Launch: In August 2019, KinoSol launched our domestic dehydrator. We spent the summer months focused on improving airflow and efficiency. This was to allow the dehydrators to be used in cooler environments. The dehydrator is currently available for purchase on KinoSol’s website, as well as Amazon.
- New Partnerships: Over 2019, KinoSol’s focus was to establish deeper relationships with organizations in Uganda and Tanzania. These partnerships would help oversee the implementation and commercialization of the dehydrators locally. KinoSol identified organizations in each country who had an interest in the dehydrators and resources to help market and distribute the product. These relationships will continue to be developed in 2020, to further reduce post-harvest loss.
- Social Impact Partnership Program: With the establishment of deeper partners to oversee on the ground operations in Uganda and Tanzania, KinoSol shifted our focus to education around food waste. This was the start of our social impact partnership program. This program focuses on educating college and university students about social issues, like food waste, and how business can be used as a tool to solve global problems. We established a partnership with Iowa State University and are working to expand out our University partners. We had a successful trip to Uganda in November 2019 with Iowa State University students.
- Microfinance Fund: During our November trip with Iowa State University, KinoSol formed a relationship with The Overcomers Sacco LTD. They are a community bank that focuses on aiding rural communities, specifically through microfinance. Through this partnership, we set up a microfinance fund, focused on helping spur entrepreneurship activities in Uganda. In 2019, we dispersed 3 loans totaling over $600. We look forward to providing more microloans within local Ugandan communities in 2020.
2019 Impact
Global Impact:
To date, KinoSol has distributed over 650 dehydrators to 42 countries. Most of the dehydrators have been distributed in Uganda and Tanzania, directly impacting the lives of over 5,000 people.
650 dehydrators to 42 countries, directly impacting the lives of over 5,000 people
In 2019, we preserved over 62,000 kg of food, bringing the total amount of food preserved with KinoSol dehydrators to 310,000 kg.
Individual User Impact:
- 96 kg of food preserved in 24 uses of the dehydrator
- 36,706 kcal of additional energy preserved in 24 uses of the dehydrator
- Increasing a family’s annual income by 11% by selling the dried outputs
Preserving over 310,000 kg of food with KinoSol dehydrators
KinoSol is proud of the progress we’ve made in 2019 to pursue our mission of reducing post-harvest loss. Thank you for taking the time to read our annual report for 2019. We look forward to what 2020 brings, and how we can make an even bigger impact in reducing food losses around the world!