NAIROBI, Kenya—As climate change impacts people worldwide, Kenya’s agriculture industry is changing dramatically.
The East African nation’s economy still depends heavily on agriculture. As weather patterns become more erratic, farmers are dealing with never-before-seen problems, including droughts, floods, and new pest outbreaks.
Kenya, however, is becoming a leader in boosting sustainable agriculture, improving food security, and constructing climate resilience because of creative, science-based methods.
For instance, Ecozen, a leading Indian-based provider of climate-smart technologies, has pitched a tent in Kenya to support local farmers in adopting modern agriculture techniques.
What are some of the Ecozen products
During the just-concluded 8th Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo 2024, held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Ecozen showcased its products, which include solar-powered pumps and cold storage rooms.
When Y News visited the two-day exhibition, Devendra Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder of Ecozen, indicated that all their solutions, with a footing in Kenya, whether in cold storage, irrigation, or electric mobility, are designed to enhance efficiency and livelihoods.
“We are driving transformative change across agriculture, cooling, and mobility industries. So, this event provided a fantastic platform to connect with partners and stakeholders who share our commitment to building a climate-smart world,” Gupta said.
How Indian college students founded Ecozen
During their college days about two decades ago, he revealed that the company’s founders used to see Indian farmers struggle to irrigate their fields.
To irrigate their fields, the farmers had to rely on diesel or petrol generators, which increased their operating expenses, caused much pollution, and reduced post-harvest produce.
“So, the founders of Ecozen created a way to irrigate the farmers’ fields and increase their yields using solar energy in such a way that it is economical for farmers and environmental conservation,” Gupta explained.
Later, the company’s founders figured out how the farmers would store their produce after harvest because crops, unless stored in cold storage, will start getting spoilt, and food wastage without using food storage is higher than 40pc, which is a massive waste.
“So, they innovated and created the solar cold storage room technology, and the beauty of this product is that it does not require batteries to enable cooling at night. Thanks to this technology, you get 24-hour cooking storage without using batteries,” said Gupta, adding that they later developed more products.
Why Ecozen participated in the Kenyan expo
Asked why Ecozen chose to participate in the event, Gupta said:
“This exhibition, frankly speaking, is the biggest part of this industry, and one thing I like about it is that Kenya is very quick at adopting new technologies, and there is a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit here,” explained Gupta.
According to Gupta, their company is about selling its products in the Kenyan market and working with all the partners across the whole ecosystem to adopt the products, service them, and properly utilize them.
“This means arranging funding, arranging trainings for the farmers, etc. and people who are technically qualified and also are excited to try new products, and this is why Kenya is a natural one for us,” he said.
