Innovative energy solutions for improving food preservation in humanitarian contexts: A case study from informal refugees settlements in Lebanon

The paper describes some of the outcomes from the research and cooperation project SET4food (Sustainable Energy Technologies for food utilization), which main goal was to improve food security to refugees in camps and informal settlements, focusing on food utilization. Within the project, pilots have been developed and monitored in different countries, to test a number of energy technologies, mainly related to cooking and food preservation. In particular, the paper focuses on one of the case studies, considering the methodological and technological innovations put in place in two different informal settlements in Lebanon to improve living conditions of refugees (mainly coming from Syria). The case study is presented from the design to the implementation phase, to the results of the monitoring that can highlight challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of each adopted solution. The aim of the work is indeed to increase the scientific knowledge on such topic, based on qualitative and quantitative data collected in the field. The results and lessons learnt presented on the paper are likely to provide the basis for more effective technological implementations in humanitarian contexts.