While numerous business owners flee areas plagued by conflict, Alaa Salih Hamadto is boldly growing her enterprise right in the heart of one. Based in Kassala, near Sudan‘s eastern border with Eritrea, she heads Solar Foods, an innovative company utilizing solar energy to prolong food preservation amid one of Africa’s gravest humanitarian crises.
Sudan’s ongoing war has tragically claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced over 12 million people, and shattered the country’s economy. What began as a power struggle between two military factions has led Sudan to the brink of collapse. Yet, Hamadto and her team have not only survived but thrived, scaling their startup significantly. Today, more than 5,000 farmers and 40 cooperatives-many led by women displaced by the conflict-are processing and exporting food for the first time. This remarkable progress earned Hamadto the 2025 Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award, celebrating her as one of Africa’s most fearless female innovators.
Innovation Passed Through Generations
The roots of Solar Foods extend well before the current crisis. In the 1980s, Hamadto’s father, a senior scientist at the UK Atomic Energy Authority, pioneered Sudan’s first tunnel and greenhouse solar drying systems. He firmly believed that Sudan’s most abundant natural resource was its sunlight.
“My father always said, ‘Sunlight is our greatest treasure,'” Hamadto recalls. He invested years developing prototypes, but widespread use was limited, and his inventions never fully flourished. For her, his legacy was more than technology-it was a mission.
“He taught me that true innovation doesn’t require complex gadgets; it’s about solving local problems with what’s readily available.”
Abandoning her dental career, Hamadto dedicated herself to realizing her father’s vision by turning his prototype into a sustainable business. “I wanted to prove the technology’s effectiveness through food science and show it could be commercially viable,” she says. Over three years, she enhanced the dryers, ensured they met food safety regulations, and built a committed team.
Solar Foods officially launched in 2017, initially funded by her personal savings. “I even sold my gold jewelry to support the venture,” she shares. “Every cent went into packaging and marketing to demonstrate that solar-dried foods could be safe, consistent, and attractive.”
In 2020, during devastating floods, Hamadto witnessed the true power of solar drying. Rising waters cut off small-scale women farmers who had just harvested molokhia, a leafy green similar to spinach. Middlemen refused to buy or transport the crop.
“With roads flooded, our team used boats and donkeys to reach the farmers through difficult terrain,” she explains. The greens were brought to their facility and solar-dried to prevent spoilage.
“We paid the farmers fairly, and the gratitude and hope in their eyes were unforgettable. That moment proved solar drying is more than preservation-it’s a lifeline.”
Cutting-Edge Solar Drying Solutions
Building on her father’s original designs, Solar Foods has upgraded the technology. “Our dryers are equipped with sensors that track temperature and humidity, connected to a closed-loop system that automatically adjusts airflow,” Hamadto details. “This automation offers farmers a reliable process requiring minimal supervision.”
She adds that 80 to 90 percent of the heat comes directly from sunlight, while small solar panels power the fans and sensors. Unlike traditional sun drying-which exposes food to contaminants and extends drying time, reducing nutritional value-or freeze-drying, which is expensive and energy-intensive, “our solar dryers strike the perfect balance between affordability, speed, and quality.”
The technology works best with crops like onions, garlic, okra, and tomatoes, which are stable and consistently in demand. However, drying fruits such as mangoes, dates, and delicate berries remains challenging. Leafy greens require low temperatures to preserve color, and drying meat or fish involves stricter safety protocols.
Before the conflict, Solar Foods integrated IoT monitoring via 4G networks. The war disrupted this system, so the current focus is on field automation. “Our long-term plan is to restore IoT capabilities once we establish multiple hubs and secure further funding.”
Building a Sustainable Social Enterprise
By 2021, Solar Foods had formalized as a social enterprise with four revenue streams. Smallholder farmers pay affordable fees for drying services, “kept low to prioritize support for vulnerable groups,” Hamadto explains. The main income comes from B2B clients purchasing dried ingredients like onion and garlic powders, okra flakes, and tomato flakes, alongside B2C sales of branded products. Additionally, the company manufactures and sells solar dryers to NGOs, cooperatives, and agribusinesses.
Quality control starts at the farm. “We carefully select crop varieties known for high yields and drying suitability,” Hamadto says. “We work closely with farmer cooperatives and only process the first harvest when produce quality is at its peak.”
Upon arrival, produce undergoes thorough sorting and grading. Operations comply with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
Distribution is a cornerstone of the business model. “Many new entrepreneurs focus only on product development, but seasoned founders know distribution is crucial,” Hamadto notes. “Without efficient last-mile delivery, even the best products can fail.”
Solar Foods invests in certifications, export readiness, and partnerships with local aggregators and international agents who handle logistics. “We emphasize quality and safety while leveraging partners with established distribution networks.”
Many cooperative leaders are women displaced by the conflict. The company empowers them with training to operate dryers and manage agribusinesses, fostering income generation and local expertise. Farmers also receive education on hygiene, pricing, and packaging to meet export standards.
“As a woman in a male-dominated sector, I face many challenges,” Hamadto admits. “There’s a stereotype that women can only run startups, not scale them.” The women she supports are breaking this mold. For example, 13 cooperatives recently registered as formal businesses for the first time in Sudan. “This legal recognition enabled them to secure $100,000 in funding, proving their collective economic strength.”
Adjusting Operations Amidst Conflict
When fighting erupted in April 2023, Solar Foods’ Khartoum office was looted and destroyed. The team decentralized operations, relocating to Kassala, one of the safer regions.
Mobile solar-powered drying units now allow production to continue despite road closures. Farmers rent drying space or sell collectively through cooperatives, reinvesting profits into seed banks and local storage. Currently, Solar Foods runs six dryers in Kassala, including three dedicated to processing falafel ingredients, handling up to six tons of fresh produce daily.
“We optimized logistics, reduced dependence on the national power grid, and focused on staple crops with quick processing times,” Hamadto explains. “Maintaining a lean operation and positive cash flow has been vital for survival.”
Reflecting on the paradox of growth during wartime, she says, “It’s ironic that conflict created room for expansion. We were pioneers willing to operate under fire, while larger companies hesitated. Support was scarce before, but now I’m recognized as a courageous entrepreneur.”
Government aid has been limited; Solar Foods’ strongest backing comes from international NGOs, private buyers, and local community alliances.
Imagining a Future Powered by the Sun
In 2025, Hamadto’s work was honored with the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award, bringing financial support, mentorship, and greater visibility. “The award validated our women-led cooperative model on a global stage,” she notes. “It connected us with expert networks and boosted confidence among donors and B2B partners, opening doors to new collaborations and markets.”
She is currently seeking $750,000 in blended financing-a mix of grants and investments-to purchase land in Kassala, build a 1,000-square-meter warehouse and packing facility, and expand to over ten dryers. “Our previous site was destroyed, so we need new infrastructure that meets certification standards.”
Her ambitious vision is to establish Sudan as a leading hub for solar-dried products in Africa, supporting 50,000 farmers through multiple centers nationwide. “We plan to create a network of solar agro-processing hubs across Sudan, exporting to Gulf and European markets. Artificial intelligence will enhance demand forecasting, drying efficiency, and quality control.”
Solar Foods is also negotiating with humanitarian groups to supply dried foods to displaced communities and medical centers.
For Hamadto, the mission remains deeply personal, rooted in her father’s belief in harnessing Sudan’s most abundant resource: sunlight. “I don’t claim our technology is the most advanced worldwide, but it’s the right solution-a form of social innovation,” she affirms. “Solar Foods must go beyond theory; it has to tangibly improve the lives of those who grow our food.”
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