Every year beyond 1,000 million tons of food are wasted in the worldwhile millions of people suffer from hunger. An important part of this waste concerns fruit, which often rotates even before being consumed or sold. In response to this global emergency, two young Uganda entrepreneurs have found an innovative, sustainable and completely natural solution: a small biodegradable bag that prolongs the freshness of the fruit up to 30 days.
Sandra Namboozo And Samuel Muyitaboth from families of farmers, know well the difficulties related to the conservation of crops in countries where the cold chain is often absent or unreliable. The losses accumulate already before the products reach the markets, damaging the entire agricultural chain.
Precisely from this shared experience was born Karpolaxan innovative project based on science and environmental sustainability. The heart of the idea is a simple biodegradable bag made with compounds of vegetable origincapable of slowing down the fruit ripening process in a natural way and protecting it from mold and bacteria.
This small but effective device has already attracted international attention, so much so as to bring the two founders among the Ten finalists of the Youth Inventors 2025 prize assigned byEuropean Patent Office (EPO).
How the Karpolax bag works
The secret of Karpolax’s effectiveness lies in the use of volatile organic compounds (COV) extracted from plants such as Clavo, Citronella, Eucalyptus and Gaulteria. These natural substances, already known for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, are gradually issued by the bag, adapting to the type of fruit to be kept, as explained by Namboozo:
Simply insert the bag into the fruit boxes during storage or transport, and the active mixture does the rest.
Unlike chemical preservatives, Karpolax, being completely safe for human consumption and respectful of the environment.
The first tests conducted by National Organization for Agricultural Research of Uganda they gave surprising results. The manghi treated with Karpolax remained fresh for well 33 dayscompared to the 11 days of the untreated manghi. Subsequently, the product was also successfully experienced on bananas, apples and orangesand suitable versions are already being developed for Pineapple, berries and peppers.
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Launched in 2020, the Karpolax company has already reached More than 100 farmers, 20 exporters and 250 retailers in local markets. Now the two entrepreneurs look beyond the borders of Uganda, with the aim of expand in other countries in Eastern Africalike Kenya and Rwanda.
We wanted to create something that would not only remain a laboratory exercise, but that had a real impact in people’s lives.
