Agro Xplore

03/11/2025

Let’s explore the food forest in Netherlands 🇳🇱

03/11/2025

🌿 Do you know that charcoal cooler is a natural way to preserve food freshness?

In many rural and semi-urban areas, access to electricity or modern refrigeration is limited. Here is where charcoal cooler comes in.

Charcoal cooler is a simple, eco-friendly, and a low-cost cooling solution that uses the natural process of evaporation to keep fruits, vegetables, and perishables fresh for a longer time

🤔 How it works?

A charcoal cooler is typically made using a double-walled structure (metal, wire mesh, or clay). The space between the walls is filled with charcoal pieces with water poured over the charcoal to keep it damp.

As the water slowly evaporates from the wet charcoal, it draws heat away from the inner chamber, lowering the temperature inside by several degrees sometimes up to 10–15°C cooler than the air outside.

📌 Key Benefits

✅ No electricity is needed as it operates purely on the principle of evaporation
✅ It is built using locally available materials which makes it affordable
✅ It is Eco-friendly as there is no harmful refrigerants or carbon footprint
✅ It is Ideal for farmers and vendors and it helps to reduce food spoilage and post-harvest losses

🛠️ Thinking about how to maintain it?

🌱 Keep the charcoal moist for consistent cooling.
🌾 Place the cooler in a shaded or well-ventilated area.
🌿 Clean the interior regularly to maintain hygiene.

Innovation doesn’t always need to be high-tech and charcoal coolers are a typical example of it.

Charcoal coolers are transforming small-scale food storage, especially in regions with unreliable electricity. This can be applied in traditional food system to preserve freshness, reduce food waste and improve food security.

06/10/2025

https://youtu.be/ImQG0GG5J6A?si=RAyX3J_CUd5y5SfX

This is an interview with Xander Beks who is a resource person in the agricultural space and an expert in dairy farming. Watch to the end to learn more about...