The project’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to produce nutritionally rich, shelf-stable vegetable biomass powders at significantly lower cost by utilising surplus and rejected local produce. The integration of solar drying and enzyme-based preservation reduces energy consumption and processing costs while maintaining product quality. In addition, the solution shortens supply chains, ensures consistent raw material availability, and offers scalable, community-based production. This enables the project to deliver affordable, value-added functional food ingredients with strong sustainability credentials, while simultaneously improving farmer income and reducing food waste.

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Vegetable farmers in the Kundasang–Ranau area experience high post-harvest losses due to oversupply, limited market access, low prices, and a lack of storage and preservation technologies. As a result, nutritious produce is wasted, causing environmental issues and reducing farmers’ income, highlighting the need for a sustainable value-adding solution to reduce waste and improve livelihoods.

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The project implements an efficient “waste-to-wealth” approach by converting surplus and rejected vegetables from Kundasang–Ranau into high-value, shelf-stable biomass products. Using a combination of solar drying, controlled dehydration, and enzyme-based post-harvest treatment, the solution preserves nutritional quality while significantly extending product shelf life. The processed vegetables are transformed into functional vegetable powders that can be easily stored, transported, and commercialised for use in various food products. This solution reduces post-harvest waste, creates new income streams for farmers, and supports the sustainable utilisation of local agricultural resources.

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The project introduces an integrated, low-energy preservation system that combines solar drying technology with enzyme-assisted post-harvest treatment to convert surplus vegetables into high-value functional biomass powders. This innovative approach not only extends shelf life while retaining nutritional quality, but also enables the transformation of rejected fresh produce into versatile ingredients for diverse food applications. By applying a scalable “waste-to-wealth” model tailored to local farming communities, the project delivers a novel, cost-effective solution that links sustainable food processing with improved farmer livelihoods.

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