The Sudanese Startup Turning Sunlight into Food Security

In a country where conflict, climate shocks, and food scarcity have become a daily struggle, one Sudanese company is proving that sunlight can do more than power homes, it can power hope. Solar Foods, founded in 2017 by Dr. Alaa Salih Hamadto, is turning one of Sudan’s greatest natural assets into a lifeline against hunger.

Turning Sunlight into Food Security

Solar Foods uses solar-powered drying systems to preserve locally grown produce, meat, and spices. In Sudan, where unreliable electricity and poor infrastructure cause massive post-harvest losses, the company’s solar dryers have become a game-changer.

Traditional open-sun drying often leaves food contaminated or nutritionally depleted. Solar Foods replaces that with industrial solar dryers equipped with fans and humidity sensors, allowing precise control of temperature and airflow. The result: cleaner, longer-lasting, and more nutritious food that doesn’t rely on refrigeration or chemical preservatives.

In a 2024 case study, the company reported that Sudanese smallholder farmers lose up to 33% of their harvests due to spoilage and transport challenges. Solar drying helps preserve crops that would otherwise go to waste. For instance, molokhia, a local green vegetable prone to quick spoilage, can now be dried and sold year-round, securing income for farmers and affordable food for consumers.

Building Resilience Amid Conflict

When conflict in Sudan destroyed the company’s Khartoum facility in 2023, Solar Foods adapted rather than folded. It began decentralizing its operations, deploying smaller, mobile solar units in rural areas and working directly with communities to process food near farms.

This shift not only reduced transport dependency but also empowered local farmers, particularly women, who now play a central role in production. Many of Solar Foods’ staff are women without formal education who have gained stable employment and training through the enterprise.

Despite logistical hurdles, damaged roads, communication blackouts, and limited access to power, Solar Foods continues to operate by relying on sunlight alone. This off-grid independence has made it one of the few food processors able to maintain production during prolonged crises.

Empowering Local Value

Solar Foods doesn’t just process food. It builds local value chains that include smallholder farmers, rural women, and local retailers. Its flagship product line, Doqa, offers organic dried vegetables, herbs, spices, and ready-to-cook mixes like falafel blend, affordable, nutritious, and shelf-stable.

Each product is a direct response to the region’s challenges: limited refrigeration, poor storage facilities, and unpredictable market access. By converting perishable crops into durable, portable goods, Solar Foods makes it possible for families and relief agencies to store and transport food safely across regions affected by war or flooding.

The company has also partnered with NGOs to distribute smaller solar dryers to farmers, extending its impact beyond its own production sites. This decentralized approach helps communities preserve harvests on their own, boosting both income and local food supply.

The Future of Food in Sudan

Solar Foods’ innovation is simple but transformative. By using Sudan’s abundant sunlight to preserve food, it tackles multiple crises at once: food waste, poverty, and energy scarcity. Yet, scaling the model remains a challenge. Industrial solar dryers are expensive to deploy, and ongoing conflict threatens logistics, distribution, and access to materials.

Still, the company’s persistence is earning recognition. What began as a small social enterprise has grown into one of Sudan’s most resilient agritech stories, a reminder that sustainability doesn’t have to come from complex technology or foreign aid, but from using what’s already available.

Solar Foods isn’t solving Sudan’s food insecurity overnight. But it’s showing what’s possible when innovation meets resilience, and when sunlight becomes more than a source of power, it becomes a source of survival.