centers play an important role in the
cows) were not able to deliver and sell
on developing the 10 liter Biogas Milk
transition period from small scale
their evening milk. Due to a lack of
Chiller. This chiller provides off-grid
individual household farmer (< 5
knowledge of post-harvest practices,
biogas-powered milk cooling on-farm,
cows) towards a commercial dairy
combined with poor infrastructure and
allowing smallholder farmers without
family farmer (> 30 cows) equipped
no storage facilities, there is at least
access to electricity to store, deliver
with its own milk cooling tank solution.
40% waste in the fresh-produce
and sell their milk. With this cooling
Mueller has a wide experience in
supply chains in developing countries.
solution, milk spoilage is eliminated
setting up collection points in Asia,
Cold storage chains for dairy products
and the income of small-scale dairy
Africa and Eastern Europe. Always
in rural areas would have a
farmers is increased.
cooperating with local distributors,
tremendously positive effect on the
The Biogas Milk Chiller can be seen at
government
and/or
non-
income generated by smallholder
the African Dairy Conference and
governmental organizations. The
farmers.
Exhibition this year and will be
company can also provide technical
Together with its partners and local
implemented in Kenya, Tanzania, and
assistance, location evaluation and
Ethiopian entrepreneurs, Mueller
Zambia by the end of 2016. Later,
identification and collection point set
developed the Solar Cooler: an off-
expansion to Rwanda will follow. In July
up.
grid milk cooler for churns that runs
2016, the Biogas Milk Chiller was
on solar power. The first prototype
awarded with a prize. The cooling
Solar Cooler
was installed in December 2012.
system was one of the 400 (!) entries
In 2011, Mueller was asked to
Recently, the company launched the
for the OpenIDEO Amplify Challenge
participate in a partnership with the
final version, which will be shown at
'How might we improve the livelihoods
BoP Innovation Center and LEI
the AfDa in Rwanda.
of small-scale farmers by reducing food
Wageningen University. The goal was
waste and spoilage'. Winning the award
to come up with a milk cooling solution
Biogas Cooler
means that SimGas, the main
for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia,
In 2013, Simgas, the BoP Innovation
contractor, will receive extra money to
where small scale farmers (1 or 2
Centre, SNV and Mueller collaborated
optimize the cooler.