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Solar cold storage helps African farmers cut losses and reach global markets
Pay-per-use cold rooms are helping farmers cut spoilage from up to 40% of food lost between harvest and market, the FAO says.
- Solar-Powered, off-grid cold rooms and cooling hubs are expanding across Africa, with companies like SoKo Fresh and ColdHubs operating in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and South Africa to help farmers preserve perishable crops.
- The Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that up to 40% of food produced in Africa is lost between harvest and market, as rising temperatures and unreliable electricity supplies make conventional refrigeration impractical in rural areas.
- SoKo Fresh utilizes a pay-per-use model charging farmers by the kilogram, cutting spoilage rates from up to 50% to under 2% while helping farmers earn up to 50% more per kilogram.
- "When farmers can store produce for longer, they gain access to better markets," said Emmanuel Aziebor, regional director for Africa at CLASP, noting that flexibility reduces waste and increases incomes.
- Carol Koech, vice president for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, says the challenge is creating bankable projects to attract investment, with grants and low-interest loans essential to cover roughly $30,000 upfront costs.
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In Kenya cold chain breakthrough helps farmers save more, earn more
Solar-powered cold storage is transforming agriculture across Africa, helping farmers preserve perishable crops, cut post-harvest losses from as much as 50% to under 2%, and access lucrative international markets while reducing reliance on costly and unreliable electricity.
·Pointe-Noire, Congo (the)
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Associated Press News+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
Solar cold storage helps African farmers cut losses and reach global markets
Kenyan smallholder farmers are reducing post-harvest losses and accessing global export markets through a pay-per-use solar cold storage model pioneered by Nairobi-based company SoKo Fresh.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left7Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Left
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources lean Left
58% Left
L 58%
C 25%
R 17%
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