Sustainable energy technologies for food security
in humanitarian contexts

Project code: ECHO/ERC/BUD/2016/91000  
Funded by: European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid
Partners: COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale (Italy), Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

 

Phase 1
Period: 2014 - 2017
COOPI, Politecnico di Milano and Fondazione Politecnico di Milano implemented the project "Sustainable energy technologies for food utilization" (SET4food), co-funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).
The project aimed at enhancing the capacity of humanitarian actors in identifying, implementing and monitoring efficient and sustainable energy technologies for food utilization in temporary / quasi-permanent / permanent camps or informal settlements.
SET4Food focused on the nexus between food utilization and energy availability, efficiency and sustainability. Starting from an extensive literature review, support tools for humanitarian actors were produced, namely a Decision Support System (DSS) for the identification of a ranking of potentially appropriate energy solutions, and guidelines regarding technologies potentially available).
Innovative solutions were implemented in four pilot projects in Central African Republic (CAR), Haiti, Lebanon and Somalia. Finally, several training activities and dissemination events took place in different places (Italy, Belgium, Nepal, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, USA, Haiti, Colombia), in order to sensitize humanitarian workers, public officers, academic staff and the private sector regarding the topic, and provide them with some practical tools.
The e-learning open course "Appropriate energy technologies for food utilisation in refugee camps and informal settlements: overview, selection criteria and pilot case studies" was developed in English, French and Spanish, in order to spread the information worldwide.

 

Phase 2
Period: 2016 - 2018
Phase 2 of the project capitalizes the activities of the SET4food project  and is characterized by additional collaborative initiatives in order to:
  • Empower humanitarian organizations through the organization of a high-level technical training of professionals who will be selected as Innovation Brokers for Energy (IBEs).
  • Promote clear references and standards: monitoring and evaluation (M&E) procedures and an "impact evaluation framework" will be developed and diffused through the platform of ENERGYCoP along with DSS and the guidelines.
  • Support representatives of organizations with tools to improve planning capacity and inter-organizational coordination, to identify gaps and propose solutions.
  • Support coordination among actors from different sectors (i.e. humanitarian organizations, universities, research institutes and private companies) and facilitate collaboration and integration of initiatives within an Energy Community of Practices (ENERGYCoP).
Further information available in the project official page.