US-BASED CRAFT CHOCOLATIER STORES PRIZE CACAO IN GRAINPRO BAGS

While the international coffee trade has benefitted greatly from using GrainPro® SuperGrainbags® (SGBs) to organically preserve specialty and single-origin beans, the cacao industry has yet to fully discover the benefits of these miracle liner bags. One chocolatier in Los Angeles, California knows how these SGBs can protect both quality and quantity of their cacao stocks and shared to us how they are using these bags in their operations.

Letter Press Chocolate is California’s fastest growing craft chocolatier who sources their cacao from single origin farmers in Peru, Belize, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. According to their website, when the bags arrive at their facility in L.A., the first thing they do is empty each one out. The bags are lined with GrainPro SGBs and refilled with the cacao beans. They added that they do this to keep out insects, and to preserve the freshness of the beans.

“The first thing we do when we get bags is empty them out, line the bags with GrainPro plastic, then refill them. We do this so that the beans stay fresher longer and keep out pests.” -- LetterPress Chocolate

Rightfully so. 

Letter Press Chocolate is the type of chocolatier that truly loves chocolates, and understands the value of protecting their most important investment – the cacao. According to their website, they don’t like how most chocolates taste artificial, and full of sugar and vanillin. They want their customers to experience the subtle differences and characters of each single-origin cacao they sourced from different regions – much like coffee or wine. 

A joint study between Ghana, Israel and the Philippines in 2008 validates the effectiveness of GrainPro SGBs in protecting cacao against insects. Cacao beans were stored for 30 days in SGBs. Steep decline in oxygen concentration and anoxia was observed only after 15 days, resulting in 100 percent mortality of the insect population, including eggs and larvae.

An additional benefit of using the SGB is that it can protect and extend the aroma and flavor of the beans. Like coffee, cacao also comes in burlap or jute bags. After a while of being inside these bags, the beans may absorb the undesirable aromatic qualities of jute that are reflected in the flavor and aroma of the cacao. This results in the development of undesirable aromatic qualities and flavors.

Besides using GrainPro SGBs, Letter Press Chocolate is also a firm believer in cacao farmers. They forge direct relationships with farmers and provide much needed support to cooperatives. Additionally, farmers are paid a premium amount to help raise their quality of life.

Despite being relatively new, Letter Press Chocolate has already won the prestigious Good Food™ Award in 2017 for their Costa Esmeraldas Ecuador Chocolate bar. This achievement proves that their philosophy of sustainability and transparency is working for them, their farmers and customers.

SuperGrainbag®: Strengthening the Value Chain of Rice in India

Maharashtra Agricultural Competitiveness Project (MACP), with a mandate to strengthen its implementation arm, the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) in the state of Maharashtra, took the initiative to ensure that its objectives of increasing productivity, profitability and market access of farming community is being effectively implemented by ATMA.

As part of its efforts to help raise the local agricultural commodity, the MACP organized a day-long conference on post harvest technologies and handed out GrainPro SuperGrainbags (SGBs), which is seen as an immediate storage solution.

they lose up to 20% of their yields due to pests and rodents that eat and contaminate their grains

416 SGBs with a capacity of 50 kilos each were handed out to smallholder farmers who took part in demonstrations in the region to store paddy and other grain yields. High yielding rice seed varieties and nutrients were also handed out as part of the program.

Hanumant Kisan Ghadage and his wife Maya, progressive farmers from Maushi village in Patan Taluka, took 10 bags for storage of paddy and other grains. Before using the SGBs, they reported that they lose up to 20% of their yields due to pests and rodents that eat and contaminate their grains.

After attending the Ultra Hermetic training provided by Pest Control of India (PCI) and GrainPro, he believes that storing his surplus produce in the SGBs will safely preserve the quality and reduce potential losses.

For more about GrainPro, please visit our official website at www.grainpro.com, or check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. Please use the hashtag #storingthefuture to discuss Ultra Hermetic™ solutions in social media.

COCOONS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO COLD STORES IN PEANUT STORAGE

A recently concluded trial in Indonesia comparing  GrainPro® Gas-Hermetic Fumigation (G-HF) Cocoon™ to cold storage and ordinary warehouse storage to preserve peanuts came back in March with positive results. The client, a highly-regarded name in the peanut processing industry, concluded that the Cocoons performed extremely well in preserving the freshness of peanuts.

Cutting out the need for refrigeration, the company will reduce its carbon footprint as well and eventually will market a better product. 

According to their report, the cold store and the Cocoon performed similarly in controlling aflatoxin levels, moisture content percentage, and oxidation values even after seven months. Visually, the peanuts stored in the Cocoon did not show any signs of discoloration. The most important consideration during the trial was to see how the Cocoon would deal with infestation. Based on the findings, the Cocoon eliminated both insect adults and eggs due to the rapid drop in oxygen levels in the first 220 days of installation.

The impressive results and the economic benefits of using Cocoons convinced the company executives to use modified atmosphere technology to complement their existing cold storage facilities. After a visit by Alnor Limbo, GrainPro Customer Support Engineer, the company is looking to install five more 100 tonne G-HF Cocoons at their facility while using mechanized loaders.

The GrainPro G-HF Cocoon is an Ultra Hermetic™ storage solution for large quantities of bagged commodities. With sizes ranging from 5MT to 1050MT, the Cocoon can control insect and fungal contamination through superior gas and water barriers that prevent the exchange of air and moisture during storage. With a gas flushing mechanism, it can be easily filled with carbon dioxide to speed up the process of  insect elimination.

 

There have been several global inquiries in the viability of modified atmosphere in Cocoons as a storage and pest-control solution for peanuts. This latest experience in Indonesia clearly shows that there are economic benefits in its use as an organic storage. Tom de Bruin, CEO of GrainPro Philippines adds, "by cutting out the need for refrigeration, the company will reduce its carbon footprint as well and eventually will market a better product."

COCOON USE SPREADS IN ASEAN REGION

The use of Cocoons are spreading throughout Indonesia, the Philippines, and the rest of the ASEAN region. Check out these pictures from Alnor Limbo, GP Customer Support Engineer, which shows installations of Cocoons in the region.

According to Limbo, "Cocoons are non-chemical storage solutions that are designed to effectively control insect infestation on dry agricultural commodities." With the reliance of most food producers in chemical fumigants, Cocoons offer a more sustainable and cleaner solution to storing a wide range of grains and seeds.

The GrainPro Cocoon employs the principles of Ultra Hermetic storage, modified atmospheres and organic pest control. The combination is a gas- and watertight container that prevents the exchange of air and moisture. This results in the complete elimination of insects (in all life stages) embedded with the stored crops, the inhibition of aflatoxin-producing moulds, and the preservation of the crops for longer than its regular shelf life without any chemical residues.

Hermetic storage solutions, such as the Cocoon, is leading a global revolution in how food is preserved. Tighter international laws and trade agreements are calling for the reduction and complete ban of several chemical fumigants and pest-control systems. This makes the use of organic storage and pest-control systems very appealing for food producers and traders.

BABBAN GONA AMONG RECEPIENTS OF 2017 SKOLL AWARDS

Kola Masha, Managing Director of the Babban Gona program in Nigeria, is among this year’s recipients of the prestigious Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. Masha, a supporter of hermetic storage and social enterprise, was recognized for his role in creating a model that attracts smallholder farmers and the nation’s unemployed youths. This agricultural program is generating employment opportunities, livelihoods, and is keeping younger generations from joining extremist groups and gangs in the country.

Babban Gona provides much needed support through financing, training, tools, technology, and marketing to increase the yields and profits of farmers by 2.3 times the national average. The member farmers bring their harvests to Babban Gona collection centers for processing and storage. The crops are stored inside GrainPro® Cocoons™ to safely preserve the quality and freshness of the products for extended periods without the use of harmful chemicals. The crops are then sold by Babban Gona during the lean season to trusted customers who pay a premium for quality. 

This results in higher profits for the farmers. But more than that, the program is creating opportunities and making agriculture a viable livelihood for the millions of youths who are without employment prospects in a country that has one of the worst unemployment rates in the continent.

The Skoll Awards distinguish transformative leaders whose organizations disrupt the status quo, drive sustainable large-scale change, and are poised to create even greater impact on the world. Awardees’ organizations receive $1.25 million core support investments to scale their work and increase their impact. The social entrepreneurs also gain leverage through their long-term participation in a global community of visionary leaders and innovators dedicated to solving some of the biggest global challenges of our time.