The Full Belly Project LTD is a non-profit organization based out of Wilmington, N.C. whose primary objective is to increase the cost effectiveness of peanut agriculture as a means of sustainable development in third world countries, through the development of affordable sustainable technology which we place in the public domain. There are an estimated half billion people across the globe in over 100 countries, primarily in the equatorial regions and particularly in Africa, dependent upon peanuts as a primary source of protein. Along with this there are a considerable amount of side benefits to peanut production:
• Soil Conservation (as legume peanuts nitrify soil, while their complex root system prevents erosion)
• Animal Feedstock (peanut hay, the upper portion of the peanut plant is can be feed to livestock)
• Fuel Briquettes (compressed peanut hulls)
• Food Stuffs (shelled peanuts, peanut flour, peanut butter)
• Increase in Cash Crops (peanuts themselves can sold, but nitrification increases growth of other crops like maize and cotton)

The major limiting factor for growing peanuts has always been the time and labor intensive process of hand shelling peanuts, a job usually relegated to women and children. Overcoming this technical obstacle has been a goal of agricultural research for some years. When Dr. Tim Williams, Senior Research Scientist at University of Georgia, and world renowned expert on all 15,000 species of peanuts was first approached by our team he informed us that an affordable peanut sheller is considered the “holy grail of sustainable development.” The final design for the machine was completed in January, 2005, and has come to be known as “The Malian Peanut Sheller.” This relatively small hand powered device made from two pieces of concrete and a handful of metal pieces is able to shell at a rate of 100lbs of peanuts an hour. On average an individual woman or child can shell 3lbs of peanuts in a single hour. Furthermore, one set of fiberglass molds at a cost of $500 can reproduce an indefinite amount of machines. Raw materials for the machine include only half a sack of concrete and a few metal parts cost an average of $75 per machine. . (See Figure A) Maintenance is nearly zero, and a machine’s lifespan is estimated at twenty years.

Presently we are collaborating with like minded development organizations in an effort to target areas most in need of this sustainable technology. Since finishing our final design of the “Malian Peanut Sheller” in January 2005, we have distributed machines in Uganda, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Zambia and the Philippines. Studies in the field have shown that one machine is capable of processing enough peanuts for 1000 people. Our organization has just completed the construction of a small workshop to meet NGO demands for more machines, and with additional funds intend to expand our operations soon. With a few manual adjustments the machine is also capable of processing wing beans, neem nuts and a variety of other nuts found throughout the world. Research is also going into creating another hand powered machine for making fresh soymilk from soybeans.

This technology is particularly empowering for women in that it relieves them of the burden of hand-shelling peanuts. Women provide the majority of agricultural labor, and with the time saved by this machine, would have the opportunity to dedicate themselves to other obligations. Collection of firewood, a chore often left to children, can be greatly reduced by the simple processing of shelled peanut hulls into fuel briquettes. (See Figure B)

Thank you for your interest in and support of this important organization