Sustainable Banana Fiber Extraction: Story telling & Learning Launch

Challenge:

We had received a research project from a Government of India Research agency and about ten  students worked as team members to carry out the project under my guidance. The aim of the project  was to undertake sustainable methods of extracting banana fiber from the outer sheaths of the banana  plants that was an agricultural waste. The existing method  of extraction was by chemical means and the  environmental pollution hazard was high in terms of water body pollution and solid left over after  chemical treatment. The agriculturalists were not educated and had been performing these activities  based on traditional chemical methods. The effort was directed to test the bio technological method of  banana fiber extraction as it was sustainable and to find out the viability and outcome in real time  situations. The plan was to explain the process and its outcomes to the farmers and to take pilot test in  selected farms before implementation on a large scale. Two weeks was allocated for the study and  another one week for testing and validation.

Selection:

The student team members had reviewed literature and they had a few brainstorming sessions about  the appropriateness of the design thinking tools and activities for the completion of the project  activities. The finally selected the story telling tool for explaining the process followed by the learning  launch tool for pretesting the new concept.

Application:

The student team  selected ‘Villupattu’ a traditional story telling method followed in South India where a  message or concept is conveyed to the audience in a traditional singsong manner. This tool was a special   rural folk  method  which helps in reaching out to the rural farmers in their native language. In this  method few questions will also be asked to confirm whether the essence of the concept had reached  the audience. Every aspect was dealt in a manner that the audience was involved in the script and the  message conveyed.  The script included the methodology of the new process in comparison to the old  method, the benefits of using it and the effectiveness of the process in terms of environmental  sustainability. Part of the team members was involved in the recitation of the story and the others  contributed to the background music with simple native instruments.

Learning Launch  included a demonstration of the process at the harvest site of the banana plantations  and 5 farms were selected to carry out the trial. The process had been taken up by the students on the  lab scale with the same raw material found in the selected farms. The end product after the chemical  and biotechnological extraction process was tested for quality, quantity, cost effectiveness and  sustainability. These tests were carried out in the college lab followed by the commercial and  Government authorized laboratories to confirm the reliability and validity of the test results. This helped  us to confirm that the process was suitable for the selected farms and the same process was to be  carried out in the actual farm environment. A biotechnologist from the Department of Bio Technology  was also included in this project to help in onsite problems. The enzymes used for the process was given

to them and the experiment was carried out at the harvest site of 3 neighboring farms. The extracted  banana fiber was taken for lab and commercial testing. On completion of the process the students  conducted a personal interview with the onsite personnel in their native language to verify the correct  sequence of the tasks, comfort level of the personnel in carrying out the experiment and whether the  process was suited to local conditions.

The second learning launch in the  remaining two farms helped to reaffirm the effectiveness of the  process and helped to check whether the farmers were able to understand and follow the instructions  which plays a vital role in the quality of the end product. The personal interviews conducted this time  included questions about understanding the new process and methodology, the results on the  environment and surroundings and the feelings of the farmers about the change. Additionally a few  stake holders were informed about the change in process and the results to carry out a few more trials  before commercialization. The two launches were completed in two weeks and a comparative study was  carried out in the next week.

Insight:

The story telling tool helped the students to reach out to the farmers and the onsite personnel in a  native folk lore method. The audience was enthralled in the method adopted to convey the message as  it was very closely connected to them.  We could understand this from their beaming smiles, affirmative  nods and their response to the indirect questions reflected during the telling of the tale. The farmers  became close to the students and treated them with the locally available beverage and fruits. The reach  of the event was evaluated during the actual implementation in the farm.

The learning launch helped our team to identify the basic principles & assumptions underlying the new  process and performed trials to test these assumptions. Our assumptions lead to anticipated results  (tested in the labs) which enabled our stake holders to have a better view about the process and the  anticipated benefits. The results also put forth some concerns on the part of the stake holders about the  process protocol in the onsite farms. Our student team will have to address these issues and be  prepared for the forthcoming launch designs.

Approach:

The student team is equipped with the knowledge and practice of many design thinking tools and  activities and the story telling tool for conveying the message followed by the learning launch seemed  the best approach to carry our project forward. The hands on experience at the site and the results of  the first two launches will help the team to incorporate the essentials for the next launch design before  the commercialization of the process. The insight gained and the lessons learnt for reiteration will help  them to come to a final protocol which enables a sustainable new process for a better tomorrow. This  experience will help them to confirm and reassure any assumption made in the design thinking process  before it is put into practice on a large scale.

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Sustainable Banana Fiber Extraction : Story telling & Learning Launch Challenge : We had received a research project from a Government of India Research agency and about ten students worked as team members to carry out the project under my guidance . The aim of the project was to undertake sustainable methods of extracting banana fiber from the outer sheaths of the banana plants that was an agricultural waste . The existing method of extraction was by chemical means and the environmental pollution hazard was high in terms of water body pollution and solid left over after chemical treatment . The agriculturalists were not educated and had been performing these activities based on traditional chemical methods . The effort was directed to test the bio technological method of banana fiber extraction as it was sustainable and to find out the viability and outcome in real time situations . The plan was to explain the process and its outcomes to the farmers and to take pilot test in selected farms before implementation on a large scale . Two weeks was allocated for the study and another one week for testing and validation . Selection : The student team members had reviewed literature and they had a few brainstorming sessions about the appropriateness of the design thinking tools and activities for the completion of the project activities . The finally selected the story telling tool for explaining the process followed by the learning launch tool for pretesting the new concept . Application : The student team selected ‘ Villupattu ’ a traditional story telling method followed in South India where a message or concept is conveyed to the audience in a traditional singsong manner . This tool was a special rural folk method which helps in reaching out to the rural farmers in their native language . In this method few questions will also be asked to confirm whether the essence of the concept had reached the audience . Every aspect was dealt in a manner that the audience was involved in the script and the message conveyed . The script included the methodology of the new process in comparison to the old method , the benefits of using it and the effectiveness of the process in terms of environmental sustainability . Part of the team members was involved in the recitation of the story and the others contributed to the background music with simple native instruments . Learning Launch included a demonstration of the process at the harvest site of the banana plantations and 5 farms were selected to carry out the trial . The process had been taken up by the students on the lab scale with the same raw material found in the selected farms . The end product after the chemical and biotechnological extraction process was tested for quality , quantity , cost effectiveness and sustainability . These tests were carried out in the college lab followed by the commercial and Government authorized laboratories to confirm the reliability and validity of the test results . This helped us to confirm that the process was suitable for the selected farms and the same process was to be carried out in the actual farm environment . A biotechnologist from the Department of Bio Technology was also included in this project to help in onsite problems . The enzymes used for the process was given to them and the experiment was carried out at the harvest site of 3 neighboring farms . The extracted banana fiber was taken for lab and commercial testing . On completion of the process the students conducted a personal interview with the onsite personnel in their native language to verify the correct sequence of the tasks , comfort level of the personnel in carrying out the experiment and whether the process was suited to local conditions . The second learning launch in the remaining two farms helped to reaffirm the effectiveness of the process and helped to check whether the farmers were able to understand and follow the instructions which plays a vital role in the quality of the end product . The personal interviews conducted this time included questions about understanding the new process and methodology , the results on the environment and surroundings and the feelings of the farmers about the change . Additionally a few stake holders were informed about the change in process and the results to carry out a few more trials before commercialization . The two launches were completed in two weeks and a comparative study was carried out in the next week . Insight : The story telling tool helped the students to reach out to the farmers and the onsite personnel in a native folk lore method . The audience was enthralled in the method adopted to convey the message as it was very closely connected to them . We could understand this from their beaming smiles , affirmative nods and their response to the indirect questions reflected during the telling of the tale . The farmers became close to the students and treated them with the locally available beverage and fruits . The reach of the event was evaluated during the actual implementation in the farm . The learning launch helped our team to identify the basic principles & assumptions underlying the new process and performed trials to test these assumptions . Our assumptions lead to anticipated results ( tested in the labs ) which enabled our stake holders to have a better view about the process and the anticipated benefits . The results also put forth some concerns on the part of the stake holders about the process protocol in the onsite farms . Our student team will have to address these issues and be prepared for the forthcoming launch designs . Approach : The student team is equipped with the knowledge and practice of many design thinking tools and activities and the story telling tool for conveying the message followed by the learning launch seemed the best approach to carry our project forward . The hands on experience at the site and the results of the first two launches will help the team to incorporate the essentials for the next launch design before the commercialization of the process . The insight gained and the lessons learnt for reiteration will help them to come to a final protocol which enables a sustainable new process for a better tomorrow . This experience will help them to confirm and reassure any assumption made in the design thinking process before it is put into practice on a large scale . ------------------