The project's goal is to install solar-powered cold storage facilities for localfarmers and producers, allowing them to store vegetables, fruits, fish, and poultry products. This initiative aims to minimize post-harvest losses, guarantee fresh food availability, boost their economic sustainability, and ensure food security. SDRS initiates Solution for Fresh Food (S2F) with the financial and technical support of USAID. Numbers of skilled personnel are working in this project.

Activity Summary of the project.
The 18-month project in Gaibandha encompasses a wide range of initiatives aimed at creating cold storage facilities for local agricultural, fish, and poultry producers and resellers to improve agriculture, food security, and economic opportunities through the use of solar-powered sustainable energy technologies. The project,s core component involves installing two units of 5.94 kW solar-powered container-based cold storage facilities on government-owned land through tri-party agreements with local stakeholders. Each mini cold storage could accommodate about 5-6 metric tons of perishable produce. The project also involves forming fifteen producer groups, totaling 375 smallholder farmers, and engaging the Department of Extension Agriculture for awareness campaigns. These groups include six rickshaw van-based hawker businesses for vegetables, three van pulling chicken, duck meat, and egg hawkers, three van-pulling fish hawkers, and three van pulling fruit hawkers. They will receive kits and equipment to upgrade their vans, enabling them to control the temperature to keep their products fresh within the cold storage catchment areas. The project further strengthens relationships among local actors, reducing food

waste and disseminating best practices. Capacity-building activities include training van pullers in technical, digital, and business management skills, along with hygiene and food safety training for both farmers and business groups. The project will promote digital transactions and will conclude with a lessons-learned workshop, facilitating the sharing of insights and the development of an exit plan. In essence, this comprehensive initiative in Gaibandha will empower communities, enhance agriculture, reduce waste, and foster economic growth, ultimately creating a more resilient local food system.