NATURAL
RESOURCES
INSTITUTE

Knowledge for a sustainable world

Dr Marcelo Precoppe

BScEng, MSc, PhD
Biography

Dr Precoppe joined the Natural Resources Institute in January 2017 as a Crop Postharvest Technologist. Earlier, between 2014 and 2016 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Before joining IITA, between 2009 and 2013, Dr Precoppe worked as a researcher at the University of Hohenheim in Germany and between 2004 and 2006, Dr Precoppe worked in Brazil, managing the University of Sao Paulo training farm on sustainable agriculture and rural development.

Dr Precoppe has an in-depth understanding of the issue of technology adoption among smallholder farmers and has been using Participatory Approach coupled with Engineering Design Process to develop technologies suitable to village-based small-sized enterprises.

  • Evaluation of innovative drying equipment to support the rollout of the technology in five sub-Saharan African countries (Funded by HEIF 2018)
  • Upgrading the flatbed dryer with a solar-powered system for Tanzanian smallholders (funded by GCRF AgriFood Africa Innovation Awards Competition)
  • Development of a solar-assisted heat unit to reduce firewood consumption in postharvest operations in developing countries (Funded by HEIF)
  • Paul Afolabi - Development of mechanical dewatering methods and drying technologies for village-based root and tuber processing in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Hamed Johnny Sarnavi - Development of a solar-assisted off-grid retrofitted fluidized bed dryer to be used for granular materials in developing countries.
  • Precoppe, M., Komlaga, G.A., Chapuis, A., Müller, J. (2020). Comparative study between current practices on cassava drying by small-size enterprises in Africa. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 10, 1–17.
  • Precoppe, M., Chapuis, A., Müller, J., & Abass, A. (2017). Tunnel dryer and pneumatic dryer performance evaluation to improve small-scale cassava processing in Tanzania. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 40 e12274.
  • Precoppe, M., Tran, T., Chapuis, A., Abass, A., & Müller, J. (2016). Improved energy performance of small-scale pneumatic dryers used for processing cassava in Africa. Biosystems Engineering, 151, 510-519.
  • Chapuis, A., Precoppe, M., Méot, J. M., Sriroth, K. & Tran, T. (2017). Pneumatic Drying of Cassava Starch: Numerical Analysis and Guidelines for the Design of Efficient Small-Scale Dryers. Drying Technology, 35, 393-408.
  • Precoppe, M., Nagle, M., Mahayothee, B., Udomkun, P., Janjai, S., & Müller, J. (2014). Optimal physicochemical properties of dried litchis for Thai consumers. International. Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 7, 103-110.
  • Precoppe, M., Janjai, S., Mahayothee, B., & Müller, J. (2014). Batch uniformity and energy efficiency improvements on a cabinet dryer suitable for smallholder farmers. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52, 4819-4829.
  • Precoppe, M., Janjai, S., Mahayothee, B., & Müller, J. (2013). Improved energy efficiency of farmers’ cooperative litchi drying operation in Northern Thailand. International. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 48, 2376-2383.
  • Precoppe, M., Nagle, M., Janjai, S., Mahayothee, B., & Müller, J. (2011). Analysis of dryer performance for the improvement of small-scale litchi processing. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 46, 561-569.
  • Janjai, S., Precoppe, M., Lamlert, N., Mahayothee, B., Bala, B. K., Nagle, M., & Müller, J. (2011). Thin-layer drying of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). Food and Bioproducts Processing, 89, 194-201.
  • Janjai, S., Lamlert, N., Mahayothee, B., Sruamsiri, P., Precoppe, M., Bala, B. K., & Muller, J. (2011). Experimental and simulated performances of a batch-type longan dryer with air flow reversal using biomass burner as a heat source. Drying Technology, 29, 1439-1451.
  • Janjai, S., Lamlert, N., Hee, B. M., Bala, B. K., Precoppe, M., & Muller, J. (2011). Thin layer drying of peeled longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.). Food Science and Technology Research, 17, 279-288.
  • Janjai, S., Mahayothee, B., Lamlert, N., Bala, B. K., Precoppe, M., Nagle, M., & Müller, J. (2010). Diffusivity, shrinkage and simulated drying of litchi fruit (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). Journal of Food Engineering, 96, 214-221.
  • Baden-Württemberg Young Scientist Scholarship for German Language Course
    From October 2008 to December 2008 at Goethe Institute, Mannheim, Germany
    Scholarship for German language course sponsored by the Government of Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Studies and Research in Sustainability
    From August 2006 to September 2008 at University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
    Scholarship for MSc Program in Germany sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
  • Rural Inventor Contest at the 3rd Smallholder Farmers Fair (Agrifam)
    August 14th, 2005 at Agudos, SP, Brazil
    First Place in the Research Category with the invention “Low-Cost Solar Water Heater”, awarded by the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology
  • CAPES and IIE: Brazil and United States Undergraduate Exchange Program
    From August 2000 until July 2001 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
    Scholarship for undergraduate student sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Education and by the USA Ministry of Education

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7937-5782

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