Solar cold storage helps African farmers cut losses and reach global markets

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan farmer Yvonne Anyonyi Mumiah walks in the early morning between rows of rosemary, basil and other crops destined for European supermarkets. She once worried that transport delays or extreme heat could spoil much of her harvest, but now relies on a solar-powered cool storage service to keep her produce fresh.

The pay-per-use model offered by cold-chain company SoKo Fresh charges farmers based on kilograms (pounds) stored, part of a trend in Africa toward using solar-powered cold storage to help prevent one of agriculture’s most persistent problems: food spoilage.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that up to 40% of food produced in Africa is lost between harvest and market, largely due to poor storage, transport, and processing infrastructure.

Solar-powered, off-grid cold rooms, warehouses and cooling hubs allow farmers and traders to preserve perishable goods without relying on expensive and unreliable electricity grids. This shift is gaining momentum across Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda and South Africa.

“The biggest challenge was preserving the quality after harvest,” said Mumiah, who, like many other smallholder farmers, could not afford the roughly $30,000 upfront cost of a solar-powered cold storage unit of her own.

“You can do everything right on the farm, but if the produce is not stored properly, you lose both the product and income,” she said, noting the increased flexibility cold storage provides. “We are no longer forced to sell immediately because we fear the produce will spoil. We can wait for collection and still maintain quality.”

As food handling systems come under pressure from climate change, rising temperatures, and sometimes disrupting supply chains, cooling technology is increasingly vital.

In countries such as India, China, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States, sophisticated cold-chain networks allow fresh produce to remain marketable for weeks. In many parts of Africa, however, farmers often lack access to cooling facilities and must sell their crops immediately after harvest, suffering significant losses.

The challenge is increasingly acute as temperatures rise since extreme heat accelerates spoilage of vegetables, fruits, dairy products and fish. Unreliable electricity supplies make conventional refrigeration expensive or impractical in many rural areas.

“Cold storage remains one of the missing links in Africa’s agricultural value chains,” said Emmanuel Aziebor, regional director for Africa at CLASP, a nonprofit organisation that supports the deployment of energy-efficient appliances and productive-use technologies.

“When farmers can store produce for longer, they gain access to better markets, reduce waste and increase incomes,” he said.

Soko Fresh says it has cut spoilage rates for its customers from up to 50% to under 2%, while helping farmers earn up to 50% more per kilogram.

In Nigeria, companies like ColdHubs have installed solar-powered walk-in cold rooms in major agricultural markets, allowing farmers and traders to rent space daily rather than invest in expensive equipment. In Rwanda, solar-powered refrigeration is being used to support dairy cooperatives and improve milk collection. In Ethiopia, cold-chain investments are expanding to support horticultural exports, one of the country’s fastest-growing agricultural sectors.

Analysts say such innovations are becoming increasingly important as African countries seek to improve their food security while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Traditional cold storage systems often depend on diesel generators, particularly in areas with unreliable electricity. Solar-powered alternatives can reduce fuel consumption and operating costs while lowering emissions.

Yet experts argue the most important benefit may be economic rather than environmental. For decades, development efforts have focused heavily on expanding electricity access across Africa. While millions of households have gained access to power, less attention has been paid to ensuring that electricity can be used to generate income.

“We have neglected the conversation around how people can turn electricity into opportunity,” Aziebor said. “We keep extending electricity infrastructure, but unless people can use that power productively, the economic benefits never fully materialize.”

Across Africa, solar-powered irrigation systems are enabling year-round farming. Solar milling machines and processing equipment help rural communities add value to agricultural products closer to where they are grown.

Funding remains a challenge.

“The challenge today is not demonstrating that these systems work,” said Carol Koech, vice president for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet. “It is building enough bankable projects that can attract larger pools of investment and scale across countries.”

Grants, low-interest loans and donor support can help cover upfront costs. Industry experts say attracting sufficient commercial investment remains difficult because many agricultural markets are fragmented and dominated by small-scale producers.

“These investors see emerging technologies as high risk because we lack enough proven business models with reliable returns,” SoKo Fresh CEO Denis Karema said. “That makes funding for our type of projects expensive.”

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