Category: Africa

Vestergaard’s ZeroFly Storage Bag Effective in Addressing Food Waste

Vestergaard Frandsen logo
Vestergaard Frandsen

Vestergaard (established as Vestergaard Frandsen) is a worldwide leader in the development of products that enable people in developing countries to prevent disease and live healthier lives. One major Vestergaard Frandsen innovation is the ZeroFly® storage bag, which targets food waste.

This is a major issue in Asia and Africa, where ups to 37 percent of grain and produce is lost to insects and rats post harvest. This spoilage of food also has a downstream impact in wasting inputs such as fertilizer, labor, and water.

The ZeroFly polypropylene bag is treated using an insecticide that acts as a barrier to infesting insects. It avoids the residue hazards linked to fumigation and inaccurate spraying, with insecticide impregnated within the actual bag fibers.

This makes ZeroFly longer-lasting and much less dangerous to human health than traditional pesticide and fumigation applications. At the same time, it improves the bottom line for farmers and consumers who depend on a steady food supply in developing regions of the globe.

WHO Approves New Class of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets

Headquartered in Switzerland, Vestergaard (founded as Vestergaard Frandsen) offers a host of global health solutions focused on improving health among vulnerable people in the developing world. Among Vestergaard Frandsen’s innovative products are PermaNet® 3.0 Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINS), which are designed to prevent malaria.

A 2018 milestone was announced at the 7th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria, with a new class of PBO (piperonyl butoxide) LLINs being approved for use by the World Health Organization (WHO). With LLINs individual access in Africa increasing from 34 percent to 61 percent from 2010 to 2016, they help kill insecticide resistant mosquitoes in regions that have high malaria transmission. They have been a primary driver in a 68 percent decrease in malaria cases across Africa.

Unfortunately, resistance has been increasing to the bed net approved insecticide pyrethroid. This necessitates next generation solutions such as PBOs, which work by blocking the metabolic enzymes employed by the mosquito in breaking down the insecticide. Company CEO Mikkel Vestergaard described the WHO decision as enabling a simple, easy-to-use intervention that stands as “one of the cheapest ways to save lives.”