Agroprocessing refers to a subset of the manufacturing sector that processes raw materials and intermediate products derived from the agricultural sector. The aim is to develop and advance new processing technologies from lab to pilot and commercial scale implementation, using tools to demonstrate product and process capability at various scales.

The CSIR has sound expertise in agroprocessing. Experts in this field include qualified chemical engineers, chemists, food scientists and biotechnologists with extensive specialised experience in agroprocessing.

The organisation has worked on several projects that relied on agroprocessing, such as the Nutri-drink project, in which researchers developed a nutritional drink from a combination of food products such as sorghum, soya, milk as well as local and indigenous leafy vegetables. The CSIR is evaluating the bio-accessibility of the micronutrients in the drink to the human body to determine the nutritional value of the drink.

Agroprocessing is also key in the CSIR’s endeavours when supporting small, medium and micro-sized enterprises and various agroprocessing industries in product and process development, process optimisation and scale-up piloting.  

The CSIR is working with Botswana’s National Food Technology Research Centre to address nutrition and food security challenges in the Southern African Development Community.