How solar-powered freezers could feed developing countries

Second, much of the region lacks food cold chains. Investing here offers the opportunity to bypass conventional systems and leapfrog straight to sustainable designs.

In my view, a bottom-up approach starting at the farm level is the most viable strategy. Notably, dairy farmers in Uganda are organized into cooperatives, which have invested in cold chain storage.

This made them much more resilient to commercial disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic than other sectors, such as fish and vegetables, which suffered heavy losses when producers could not get their products to markets.

Nigeria has the highest yearly food loss and waste rate in Africa – 415 pounds (190 kilograms) per capita. In northern Nigeria, a six-month pilot project that installed solar-powered cold storage for seven small fruit and vegetable markets preserved the quality of the goods and enabled the markets to charge higher prices. 

These systems generated estimated net profits of roughly $8,000 per year per market. Even at a 7 percent annual interest rate, such a system could recoup its $40,000 capital cost within a decade.

Mexico exported $3 Billion worth of avocados to the US last year

Lessons for #Ethiopia:
1. Ethiopia has a great climate for valuable avocados
2. Improve domestic cold chain (most avocados don’t make it to Addis, even to fewer export markets)
3. Decrease time and cost to port

— Sam Rosmarin (@SamRosmarin) February 18, 2022

Access to electricity is as low as 55 percent in some parts of Nigeria, and most of its electricity comes from gas and oil. Renewable-powered cold storage offers a cleaner alternative.

Other experiments have produced similar results in northwest Kenya and in Indonesia’s Wakatobi islands, where 78 percent of the population relies on fish as a staple food. Solar-powered cold storage facilities helped these communities save money and reduce waste. 

To promote efficient and climate-friendly cooling, including air conditioning and refrigeration, the United Nations Environmental Program has organized a Global Cool Coalition that includes cities, countries, businesses and international organizations.