MIT Summary Report: New Packaging Types as Innovative International Food Assistance Instruments

The Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation (CITE) at MIT is a program dedicated to developing methods for product evaluation in global development. CITE draws upon diverse expertise across MIT and globally to evaluate products and develop an understanding of what makes products successful in emerging markets.

In 2015, USAID initiated a study with researchers at MIT CITE to evaluate new packaging types in the food assistance supply chain, which could reduce the cost and better maintain the quality of food assistance, and/or reduce the need for fumigation across the supply chain, and reduce the time required to deliver food assistance.

New packaging types have the potential to reduce losses and/or avoid or reduce the application of fumigation, and complement the effectiveness of both local and regional procurement as well as prepositioning operations.

In a two year pilot procurement program valued at approximately $600,000 USD, MIT, USAID and USDA tested eight packaging types. ProvisionGARD was chosen by the USAID to be used for food packaging shipments, to prevent insect infestation and to reduce shipping costs from fumigation expenses.

Download full report PDF here.