Modular Flat Pack Recycled Structure

The specific problem we are working to solve is the lack of sustainable agriculture practices and infrastructure, particularly in rural communities. This problem is significant both locally, in Nepal, and globally, as it affects millions of smallholder farmers and communities reliant on agriculture for their livelihoods.

In Nepal, agriculture is a crucial sector, employing over two-thirds of the population and contributing significantly to the country's economy. However, traditional farming practices are often unsustainable, leading to soil degradation, low crop yields, and vulnerability to climate change.

Our solution, the geodesic dome greenhouse, addresses several factors contributing to these challenges. By providing a controlled environment for crop cultivation, the domes enable farmers to grow food year-round, increasing their resilience to climate variability and improving food security. Additionally, the domes' modular and flatpack design makes them accessible and affordable for smallholder farmers, empowering them to adopt sustainable agriculture practices and improve their livelihoods.

Our solution is a geodesic dome greenhouse that provides a controlled environment for year-round crop cultivation. The dome is made of lightweight, durable materials and comes in a modular, flatpack design for easy assembly. It uses a geodesic structure, which is a series of interconnected triangles, to create a strong and stable dome shape. This design maximizes natural light and ventilation, creating an ideal growing environment for plants.

The dome greenhouse works by trapping heat from the sun during the day, creating a warm and humid environment inside. This allows farmers to grow crops even in colder months or areas with harsh weather conditions. The modular design of the dome means that it can be easily expanded or customized to suit different agricultural needs. Overall, the dome greenhouse is a sustainable and cost-effective solution for smallholder farmers looking to increase their crop yields and improve food security.

We incorporate IOT solutions and Open Source software to control, air, water, humidity, temperature and other environmental factors inside the greenhouse. Thus, this makes the solution truly unique and suited for our local needs.

Our solution serves smallholder farmers, particularly youth, in Nepal and other regions facing similar agricultural challenges. These farmers are often underserved, facing limited access to resources and technology, and are vulnerable to climate change and market fluctuations. The geodesic dome greenhouse provides these farmers with a sustainable and cost-effective solution to improve their crop yields and food security.

By using the dome greenhouse, farmers can grow crops year-round, increasing their income and reducing their dependence on seasonal agriculture. The controlled environment of the dome also protects crops from extreme weather events and pests, further enhancing farmers' resilience. 

Additionally, the modular and flatpack design of the dome makes it accessible and easy to install, ensuring that even farmers with limited resources can benefit from this technology. Overall, our solution aims to empower smallholder farmers, particularly youth, by providing them with the tools and technology they need to improve their livelihoods and adapt to a changing climate.

Yearly, about half a million people leave nepal to work abroad, we are dependent on import of food because young people are not farming due to higher costs and lower yields. We have over 211,000+ hectares of arable land in our country for 12 months of production. This is the particular hotspot we want to intervene and assist to help the farmers and help them stay in the country.

Our team is well-positioned to deliver this solution because we have a diverse range of experiences and expertise that directly relate to the communities we are serving. Gunjan Ghimire, our CEO, has a background in machine fabrication, which is essential for designing and manufacturing the geodesic dome greenhouse. Aashish Ghimire brings experience from the food and beverage industry, providing valuable insights into agricultural practices and market needs. Pallab's experience in manufacturing from Japan ensures that our design is efficient and suitable for mass production. Additionally, Riwaj's extensive experience as a farmer brings a practical perspective to our solution, ensuring that it meets the needs of farmers on the ground.

Our team is also representative of the communities we are serving. Riwaj, in particular, brings firsthand knowledge and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, as he has been farming for over 10 years. This proximity to the community ensures that our solution is guided by their input, ideas, and agendas. We have actively engaged with local farmers and communities throughout the design and implementation process, soliciting their feedback and incorporating their ideas into our solution. This approach ensures that our solution is not only technically sound but also culturally and socially relevant to the communities we serve.

We selected the "Pilot" stage because we have already launched our solution in several communities, including Sindhupalchowk district, Tokha Municipality, Kageswori Manohora Municipality, and Lalitpur municipality. We have successfully served over 10 customers who have paid for our solutions. At this stage, we are actively testing our design and business model, gathering feedback from customers, and making iterative improvements. We are also working to gain traction and have begun to explore fundraising opportunities to support our growth and expansion efforts. Overall, we have made significant progress in implementing our solution and are now focused on refining it based on real-world feedback.

Over the next coming months, we want to vertically integrate key parts of the production including IOT apps, fertilizers and other turn key solutions, so farmers can order our products in a package.

We are applying to Solve because we believe it can provide valuable support in overcoming various barriers that our project faces. One specific barrier we are encountering is the need for technical expertise and resources to further develop our geodesic dome solution. Solve's network and resources can help us access the technical knowledge and support needed to refine our design and optimize our operations.

Additionally, we are seeking connections with partners who can help us scale our solution and reach more communities in need. Solve's network of partners and experts can provide valuable insights and connections that can help us expand our impact.

Furthermore, we are interested in learning from and collaborating with other Solver teams and innovators working on similar challenges. Solve's community can offer a wealth of knowledge and experience that can benefit our project.

Overall, while funding is important, our primary goal in applying to Solve is to access the support, expertise, and connections that can help us overcome key barriers and accelerate the growth and impact of our project.

Our solution is innovative in several ways. First, our use of geodesic dome structures for agriculture is a novel approach to addressing the challenges faced by farmers. These domes are not only cost-effective but also highly efficient in terms of space utilization and climate control, providing farmers with a sustainable and productive environment for their crops.

Additionally, our flatpack and modular design make these domes easy to transport, assemble, and disassemble, making them ideal for use in remote or challenging terrains. This innovation enables farmers to set up and operate their greenhouses with minimal resources and infrastructure.

Furthermore, our solution has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts in the agricultural sector. By demonstrating the effectiveness of geodesic dome structures, we hope to inspire other farmers and agricultural communities to adopt similar practices. This could lead to a significant shift in the market landscape, with more sustainable and efficient farming practices becoming the norm.

Overall, our solution is innovative in its design, approach, and potential impact, offering a new and improved way to address the challenges faced by farmers and catalyze positive change in the agricultural sector.

Our solution, the geodesic dome greenhouse, is expected to have a positive impact on the problem of food insecurity and lack of sustainable agricultural practices. By providing farmers with an affordable and efficient way to grow crops in a controlled environment, we aim to increase their yield and income. This will not only improve food security for the farmers and their families but also contribute to the overall food supply chain in the community.

The theory of change behind our solution is based on the idea that by providing farmers with the tools and resources they need to grow crops more effectively, we can empower them to improve their livelihoods and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. By increasing the availability of fresh produce, we can also improve nutrition and health outcomes for the community.

We expect that by demonstrating the effectiveness of our solution and providing support for its implementation, we can encourage more farmers to adopt similar practices, leading to a broader impact on the agricultural sector. Through partnerships and collaborations, we hope to scale up our solution and reach more farmers, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and food-secure future.

Our impact goals for our solution are:

1. Increase food security: We aim to increase the food security of farmers and their families by providing them with a reliable source of fresh produce. This will be measured by the increase in the availability of fresh produce in the community, as well as improvements in the nutritional intake of farmers and their families.

2. Improve livelihoods: We aim to improve the livelihoods of farmers by increasing their income through higher crop yields. This will be measured by the increase in farmers' income and the number of farmers who are able to rely on farming as their primary source of income.

3. Promote sustainable agriculture: We aim to promote sustainable agricultural practices by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This will be measured by the decrease in the use of chemical inputs and the increase in the use of organic and sustainable farming practices.

4. Empower women and youth: We aim to empower women and youth by providing them with training and opportunities to participate in agriculture. This will be measured by the number of women and youth who are actively engaged in agriculture and the number of women and youth who are able to access training and resources.

We are measuring our progress towards these goals through a combination of qualitative and quantitative indicators, including surveys, interviews, and data collection on crop yields, income levels, and use of inputs. We are also using indicators from the UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDG 2.1.1 (Prevalence of undernourishment), SDG 2.2.1 (Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity), and SDG 2.3.1 (Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size).

Our solution, the geodesic dome greenhouse, leverages modern technology to provide a sustainable and efficient way for farmers to grow crops. The core technology behind our solution is the geodesic dome structure, which is designed to be strong, durable, and energy-efficient. These domes are made from lightweight materials such as Bamboo, PVC, HDPE or metal tubing, which are assembled into a dome shape using a series of interconnected triangles. We have been using bamboo and HDPE in Nepal because of the cost benefit. This design provides excellent structural stability and allows the dome to withstand harsh weather conditions such as strong winds and heavy snow loads.

The geodesic dome greenhouse also incorporates modern agricultural technologies such as drip irrigation, climate control systems, and automation. Drip irrigation allows for efficient water usage by delivering water directly to the roots of plants, reducing water waste. Climate control systems, such as fans and vents, help regulate the temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse, creating an optimal growing environment for crops. Automation technologies, such as automatic watering systems and temperature sensors, help reduce labor costs and ensure consistent crop yields.

Overall, the geodesic dome greenhouse combines traditional knowledge of greenhouse design with modern technology to create a sustainable and efficient solution for farmers.

We have 5 full time staff.

We have 8 part time staff.

We have 50 installers trained on Installations.

We have about 12 vendors that supply us the recycled plastic.

We have been working on the solution for 2 years now. We have recently only been selling since November 2023.

Our team at Chyau Bio Technologies is committed to hiring individuals
with a vision to solve core problems faced by farmers. While we are not
yet large enough to incorporate formal training programs and retreats
for individual growth, we strive to create an inclusive and welcoming
environment where everyone's ideas are valued. As we grow, we aim to
enhance our diversity and minimize barriers to opportunity for our
staff.

We provide sales through DIY installation packs of greenhouses, currently we provide two models. 150 square feet flat pack greenhouse and 650 square feet flat pack greenhouse. We provide the Beams, the nut bolts, the gaskets, assembly tool and assembly manual with our delivery package.

This is the manual for the 150 square feet dome. This manual is in English and Nepali. Similary we have a manual for 650 Square feet dome as well. This is very easy to use. We also provide assembly training to prospective users based on requirements.

We sell the flatpack greenhouse at 100 NRS/square feet. That is about 70 cents USD per square feet. So our smallest unit costs only 113 USD. The life cycle of the structure is at least at current material listing age of 10 years. So we have a steady and sustainable business plan.

Our sales so far has been till April 12th, 2024 has been from word of mouth and demonstrations. Online sales has been fairly low. We plan to use this information. We plan to do more demonstration starting from May 1st, this is when the rainy season in Nepal will start and that is when farmers will be in the fields, when we can show the demonstrations.