Exploring Packaging Opportunities

Hi my name is Anna. For my graduation project for my masters Integrated Product Design I am working on designing a packaging solution for fresh vegetables in Ghana. Fresh vegetables suffer a high amount of post-harvest losses of up to 50% because of various reasons of which the limited adoption of packaging practices is one. Packaging practices aren't widespread among Ghanaian farmers and combined with the climate, transport and lack of good storage space products have a short shelf life. Appropriate packaging can extend shelf-life and maintain product quality, making sure more high-quality vegetables reach the consumer. Ultimately this can contribute to farmers establishing financial security. The solution will serve as an example at Kwadaso Agricultural College in Kumasi, educating the students about the importance and benefits of packaging.

My project falls within the ACHI project which aims to boost the horticulture sector in Ghana. The programme provides practical climate-smart training and resources with Holland Greentech’s agronomists and business and entrepreneurship education supported by the Delft Centre for Entrepreneurship, which successfully helped transform KAC's curriculum. For my project, I visited Ghana for about 5 weeks, to conduct research and collaborate with local farmers, market women, supermarket chains, consumers, staff and alumni from Kwadaso Agricultural College and Holland Greentech employees. My main aim in Ghana was to find out where there the most room is for improvement, where the most impact can be made and where the most potential for the adoption of packaging practices is. Speaking to a wide variety of people and collaborating with companies such as Holland Greentech and Kwadaso Agricultural College who possess a lot of knowledge and an extensive network in the local context allowed me to get a broad view of the fresh vegetable market in Ghana and its challenges. With the knowledge of the current situation around the packaging of fresh vegetables and the perspective on the adoption of packaging practices by different stakeholders I can see where the most impact can be made.

My time in Ghana was exciting and interesting and allowed me to actually see what will be possible when I start designing a solution. Without the opportunity of travelling to Kumasi, meeting all the amazing people and experiencing Ghana myself I would not have been able to achieve the results I have now. In the past 5 weeks I was able to acquire enough information to identify several promising directions for my project to in which I will explore in the coming period.