The Society for Energy, Environment and Development (SEED) was formed as NGO in 1987 as a registered Society by a few professionals with expertise in Scientific and Engineering, Research, Management, Solar Energy, Law and social work. The basic purpose of the Society is to draw upon expertise of the members to create awareness about Energy, Environment and Development in urban and rural areas.
During the last 25 years, many awareness programmes related to scientific and technological interventions on renewable energy, food processing with the application of Solar Energy have been conducted. In 1990 a ground breaking innovation of solar drying technology is made by the design and development of solar cabinet dryer and patented the dryer (Patent No.211911).
This novel and unique solar cabinet dryer has triggered another innovative solar food processing technology. This has revolutionized the processing technology for the value addition of underutilized fruits, vegetables, spices, non-timber forest produce and preservation for long shelf life, with zero energy cost. The extensive research has been done by ‘SEED’ for the last ten years, proving the successful results in processing of 60 food products to the commercial scale, out of which 20 products were introduced in the test market to get the feedback of its high quality.
The dissemination of the technology of the solar food processing through training programs has paid good dividends in transferring the technology generated in our research through many micro enterprises for high income generation to entrepreneurs and farmers.
Vision
To improve the quality of life of rural India through empowerment of women and youth by adopting modern technologies and generating new ones.
Promotion and popularization of solar drying and solar food processing technologies in the country
Mission
To address the following three major areas in the coming decades through necessary R&D path, Awareness programmes, creating the entire supply chain “Lab to Land”, viable Technologies, Processes and Products: Green Energy Applications, Solar Food Processing, Environmental issues and climate change
Green Energy Application;
Solar Food Processing Technology;
Rural Employment Generation
The technological innovations have been popularized by supplying and installation of 73 solar dryers during Core Support project period in 9 states in the country. Many regional fruits and vegetables were processed in these dryers and paved the way of generating the high income through value addition of the products and for long shelf life.
Exported 5 Dryers to Australia, Mauritius, Malaysia & Saudi Arabia for processing their local produce.