Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic review

This review explores solar dryers' use for agricultural products, focusing on their socioeconomic benefits in the community. Despite significant technical advancements in solar dryers, there is a notable lack of documentation regarding their socioeconomic impacts on society. This gap impedes aw...

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Main Authors: Dismas Kimaro, Anthony Nyangarika, Thomas Kivevele
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Heliyon
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024167576
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author Dismas Kimaro
Anthony Nyangarika
Thomas Kivevele
author_facet Dismas Kimaro
Anthony Nyangarika
Thomas Kivevele
author_sort Dismas Kimaro
collection DOAJ
description This review explores solar dryers' use for agricultural products, focusing on their socioeconomic benefits in the community. Despite significant technical advancements in solar dryers, there is a notable lack of documentation regarding their socioeconomic impacts on society. This gap impedes awareness of the potential benefits of solar dryers, contributing to their low adoption rates and, consequently, limiting their overall impact on society. A decade of published articles from Google Scholar, Scopus, Embase, and Taylor and Francis were synthesized through content analysis to gather evidence on the socioeconomic benefits of this technology. The review found technical advancements from passive to hybrid systems, highlighting their potential to enhance drying efficiency, product quality, and economic, social, and environmental benefits. The evidence of the socioeconomic benefits, in particular, indicates that solar dryers can increase farmers' annual profits by $15,683, reduce drying operation costs by $757.31, and save up to 5 days of drying time. Furthermore, the study found that solar dryers contribute to environmental conservation initiatives by mitigating the emission of up to 430,714.76 tons of CO2 in a year, minimizing overdependence on traditional energy sources, increasing energy accessibility, and optimizing drying space. However, the review identifies a need for further research to quantify solar dryers’ impact on postharvest management, waste reduction, and job creation in the agricultural drying value chain. It also recommends involving society in technology co-creation and suggests that policymakers and practitioners incentivize their adoption through financial and non-financial support.
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spelling doaj-art-db49927bfb2547b3921790eb8afaa43e2025-08-20T01:59:38ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402024-12-011023e4072610.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40726Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic reviewDismas Kimaro0Anthony Nyangarika1Thomas Kivevele2Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. BOX 447, Arusha, TanzaniaNelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. BOX 447, Arusha, TanzaniaCorresponding author.; Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. BOX 447, Arusha, TanzaniaThis review explores solar dryers' use for agricultural products, focusing on their socioeconomic benefits in the community. Despite significant technical advancements in solar dryers, there is a notable lack of documentation regarding their socioeconomic impacts on society. This gap impedes awareness of the potential benefits of solar dryers, contributing to their low adoption rates and, consequently, limiting their overall impact on society. A decade of published articles from Google Scholar, Scopus, Embase, and Taylor and Francis were synthesized through content analysis to gather evidence on the socioeconomic benefits of this technology. The review found technical advancements from passive to hybrid systems, highlighting their potential to enhance drying efficiency, product quality, and economic, social, and environmental benefits. The evidence of the socioeconomic benefits, in particular, indicates that solar dryers can increase farmers' annual profits by $15,683, reduce drying operation costs by $757.31, and save up to 5 days of drying time. Furthermore, the study found that solar dryers contribute to environmental conservation initiatives by mitigating the emission of up to 430,714.76 tons of CO2 in a year, minimizing overdependence on traditional energy sources, increasing energy accessibility, and optimizing drying space. However, the review identifies a need for further research to quantify solar dryers’ impact on postharvest management, waste reduction, and job creation in the agricultural drying value chain. It also recommends involving society in technology co-creation and suggests that policymakers and practitioners incentivize their adoption through financial and non-financial support.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024167576Solar dryersAgricultural productsAdoptionSustainabilityEnvironmental conservation
spellingShingle Dismas Kimaro
Anthony Nyangarika
Thomas Kivevele
Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic review
Heliyon
Solar dryers
Agricultural products
Adoption
Sustainability
Environmental conservation
title Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic review
title_full Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic review
title_fullStr Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic review
title_short Uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation: A systematic review
title_sort uncovering socioeconomic insights of solar dryers for sustainable agricultural product preservation a systematic review
topic Solar dryers
Agricultural products
Adoption
Sustainability
Environmental conservation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024167576
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AT anthonynyangarika uncoveringsocioeconomicinsightsofsolardryersforsustainableagriculturalproductpreservationasystematicreview
AT thomaskivevele uncoveringsocioeconomicinsightsofsolardryersforsustainableagriculturalproductpreservationasystematicreview