Seasonal Nutritional Food Security to Indian Women through Community-level Implementation of Domestic Solar Conduction Dryer

This study explores the impact of a house-hold, post-harvest processing unit on the nutritional, economic, and social status of rural women. Solar Conduction Dryer (SCD) is an electricity-free, solar-powered food dehydrator for the production of dried vegetables, fruits, marine, and meat-based products. SCD was provided to 200 rural women farmers in the Aurangabad district of India. The availability of the dryer enabled the women to preserve seasonal produce during the surplus season and consume it during the lean period. An increase of 36% in the Women's Dietary Diversity Score was observed in the intervention group as compared to the control group in the lean season, indicating increased food accessibility and availability. Providing the appropriate market linkage and initial hand-holding helped the women to earn additional income through the sale of the dehydrated products. This research explores the sustainability of the said technological intervention and its role in agri-nutrition linkage.