By Our Reporter
In a significant advancement in sustainable agriculture, Ugandan entrepreneurs Sandra Namboozo, 26, and Samuel Muyita, 27, have launched a groundbreaking plant-based sachet that can effectively extend the shelf life of fruits by up to 30 days. This eco-conscious innovation has attracted global recognition, placing them among the elite ten finalists for the 2025 Young Inventors Prize, branded as Tomorrow Shapers. This honor is reserved for young innovators tackling urgent worldwide challenges, with their ingenuity selected from a competitive pool of 450 candidates evaluated by an independent jury.
Statistics from the World Wildlife Fund reveal a staggering 40% of food produced worldwide goes to waste before reaching consumers. Having grown up in farming communities, Namboozo and Muyita have seen this tragedy firsthand and felt motivated to offer an impactful, sustainable solution to the critical issue of post-harvest losses. Their innovative sachets release a blend of plant-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that help reduce spoilage and slow down the ripening process. Ingredients such as cloves, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and wintergreen work to combat the ethylene gas—an unavoidable agent of ripening—while also preventing mold, fungi, and bacteria from proliferating. This novel approach stands in stark contrast to traditional synthetic preservatives and signifies a meaningful leap forward in food preservation technology.
Working alongside Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization, pilot tests of the sachets demonstrated remarkable effectiveness; mangoes preserved with Karpolax sachets stayed fresh for 33 days, compared to just 11 days for those untreated. The sachets have also proven effective for bananas, apples, and oranges. Priced affordably, these solutions particularly benefit smallholder farmers and local markets, enabling them to reduce food waste and improve their revenue.
“Farmers are among our primary user base. We were passionate about using our expertise to develop a product that transcends theoretical models and makes a tangible impact in agricultural settings,” Namboozo shared.
The two innovators first met at Makerere University in Kampala, uniting over their commitment to combat food waste. Together they startup Karpolax in 2020, with ambitions to expand across the African continent, eyeing nations such as Kenya and Rwanda. “Starting from the ground up poses challenges, particularly in securing funding. We were fortunate to have supportive mentors at the university who believed in our potential,” Muyita expressed.
As of 2023, Karpolax has established connections with over 100 farmers, 20 exporters, and 250 market vendors, significantly widening its influence. The company is also exploring the possibility of developing sachets for additional products such as pineapples, capsicum, and various berries.
The Young Inventors Prize awards recognize young innovators under 30 who apply technology to address challenges outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Namboozo and Muyita’s work resonates strongly with SDG 2, aimed at eliminating hunger through the reduction of post-harvest losses, and SDG 12, which advocates for sustainable production and consumption practices.
The winners of the 2025 edition of the awards will be announced at a ceremony on June 18, 2025, in Iceland.
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