Our solution to food security: Henlight!

1. An egglightened way to combat global food
insecurity
Emily Sin
Lorena Galvan
Edward Silva
TFF Challenge 2013
University of California, Davis

2. The Problem
Hens are needy:
~12 hours of daylight per day for 15+ days
are needed before they begin producing eggs!
Less daylight in the autumn and winter can leave hens
unproductive for 4-6 months!!
...and poultry farmers and families with
more food scarcity!

3. However, through consistent light exposure,
farmers can keep chickens producing eggs year
round by using...
The Solution

4. What is
?
A small, solar-powered LED
that extends chickens' perceived
length of day, and in turn
stimulates year-round egg
production!

5. Why ?
• Brightness is optimal for chicken stimulation
• Panel is weather proof
Renewable energy source and
"smart" circuit board makes for
easy use and maintenance
This light can benefit small scale
farmers, the environment, and most
importantly, food security.
By creating more food using
renewable resources, we are helping
achieve food security sustainably!

6. Poultry is the second most consumed livestock meat in the world!
• Extremely low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions vs. other livestock.
• An excellent, lean animal source of protein.
• Scavenger eaters: lead to less harmful insects and healthier soils.
• Rapid reproduction!
o 21 days to go from "yolk" to a living breathing, chick.
• Less land and feed use per pound of meat versus other livestock.
• Very low cost of entry for small farmers!
Why chickens?
...And happily stimulated by light!

7. 's flexibility allows adaptability to
illuminate most any chicken housing operation, and its
1.5 year battery life speaks to its efficient energy use!

8. Where?
Geographically, we are looking for areas which face
larger variations in day-lengths and seasons.

9. Next Steps...
• Further develop our proof of concept and begin testing.
• Conduct outreach to our networks for insight.
• Become better oriented with large scale poultry operations.
• Develop training curriculum for farmers/ distributors.
• Partner with org. that deploy students for development work.
• Develop metrics to display impact on achieving food security.

10. Larger goals...
Incite Social Change Increase opportunity for small scale chicken farmers, and
in turn bring greater appreciation and value to their work.
Create Mass Awareness Demonstrate the value chickens have to globally pressing
issues, and encourage well-integrated, conscious solutions
to food security. Also, to become a hub to help spur
innovative solutions in food security using poultry
Built to Last Sustain more consistent food production year round
through easily maintained biological processes, to increase
food and financial fluidity, and to do so in a manner that is
timeless.
Disrupt the status quo Encourage more poultry consumption versus other more
mainstream, larger livestock through a progressive, green
solution using renewable energy in a way that should wow
and shake people a bit.