Sustainable vanilla pod dryer for small scale producers based on a participatory learning process
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abstract
The traditional vanilla curing process can take up to three months. Although vanilla pods can be dried in an oven, faster drying methods can result in inferior quality and high costs. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the participatory development of a vanilla pod dryer, adapted to local conditions and based on the four principles of sustainability, to improve vanilla producers\%27 traditional vanilla bean drying process. In participatory workshops attended by 11 participants and four facilitators, the traditional vanilla curing process was analyzed, and the basic constructional and functional parameters for a vanilla pod dryer were defined. Two models of solar dryers were constructed and tested in cooperation with the vanilla producers over a period of four months. The direct model performed better than either the indirect model or traditional sun drying. The vanilla dried significantly faster in the direct solar dryer. The drying rate in the solar dryer model was significantly higher than the drying rate of sun drying. No statistically significant difference was found in the content of vanillin for treated and untreated pods. However, the vanillin content of solar-dried vanilla is slightly higher than that of sun-dried vanilla, meaning that use of the solar dryer model did not affect vanillin content and therefore quality. In the endogenous development focus, participatory learning processes are fundamental to promoting intervention strategies, optimizing resources, and empowering local actors.
