FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 15, 2015
SOLAVORE PARTICIPATES IN CAMBODIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY PILOT
Solavore™ Sport Solar Oven Tapped to Reduce Fuel-Wood Needs of Smallholder Farmers
(Austin, Texas) – Solavore, LLC, a women-owned social enterprise committed to the manufacture and global distribution of clean cooking technology, has been selected to participate in a pilot test of alternative renewable energy technologies in rural Cambodia. The project is jointly financed by the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome. Additional funding has been secured from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and IFAD’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP).
Over 80% of the rural population of Cambodia depends on firewood and charcoal for their household energy needs. As a result, women and children suffer disproportionately from eye infections and respiratory illness – pneumonia is the number one killer of young children worldwide. In rural Cambodia, such firewood consumption leads to deforestation and the resulting erosion and nutrient depletion negatively impacts the soil upon which farmers depend for their livelihoods.
The Royal Government of Cambodia has prioritized the agriculture sector's contribution to national development, and renewable energy is a key element to achieving this objective particularly with low-cost alternatives. In addition to solar, the project will explore biogas, small-scale-biomass gasifiers, solar water pumping technologies and high-efficiency wood-burning stoves.
The Solavore Sport was selected for its lightweight, rugged durability, cooking capacity and low cost. In addition to being a 100% renewable energy appliance for daily family meal preparation, the Sport effectively pasteurizes water and efficiently dehydrates food. This provides an important means of increasing shelf life and increasing the value of products, for example transporting dried produce to market as opposed to perishable fruits and vegetables.
“We are thrilled to be invited by IFAD to participate in this important pilot for rural families in Cambodia,” commented Anne Patterson, Solavore CEO. “Solar ovens dramatically reduce fuel-wood consumption and health impacts and are an important component of the renewable energy solution for rural households.”
IFAD’s project, Building Adaptive Capacity Through the Scaling up of Renewable Energy Technologies in Rural Cambodia (S-RET), will benefit approximately 10,000 rural households across five provinces in Cambodia. Following the implementation stage, on-going activities will be folded into the IFAD-funded Agriculture Development and Economic Empowerment project in Cambodia.
ABOUT Solavore: is a women-owned manufacturer of solar ovens whose mission is to promote clean-cooking technology around the world. The Solavore Sport oven was purpose-built by solar-cooking experts for maximum efficiency, durability and ease of use. Solavore pledges to use profits to remain independent and self- sustaining while providing clean-cooking alternatives to the world’s 3 billion people SOLAVORE/two who are still cooking over open fires. For further information please visit www.solavore.com. Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/solavore, on Instagram and on Twitter @Solavore.
ABOUT IFAD: The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, IFAD has provided nearly US$16.6 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached about 445 million people. Smallholder farmers and rural families often feel the brunt of climate change - extreme cycles of storms, droughts and floods threaten the ecosystems they rely upon. IFAD’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) is the largest global climate adaptation program for smallholder farmers.
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