Clean Cooling Offers a Path to Resilience in Rwanda and Beyond

As countries across sub-Saharan Africa work to adapt to climate change, Rwanda is focusing on one of the lesser-known but critical challenges: access to resilient, efficient, affordable, inclusive and climate-friendly sustainable cooling and cold-chain.

Reliable clean cold chains are required to achieve food and nutritional security, efficient healthcare delivery, and economic stability, as well as for helping realise net zero through greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Yet, cooling systems in many parts of Africa remain expensive, energy-intensive, polluting, and difficult to implement, particularly in rural areas. Without intervention, the lack of sustainable cooling could worsen food losses and waste, limit vaccine delivery, grow emissions, and increase vulnerability among communities already facing the impacts of climate change.

A national vision for resilience

Rwanda’s Vision 2050 outlines the country’s long-term sustainable socio-economic goals, emphasising improving life quality and standards for all citizens^[1]. One area of focus is to build resilience and the green economy. For example, by making investments such as in a clean cold-chain that simultaneously supports improved food and nutritional security, skills development, and enhanced pharmaceutical provision (such as in vaccine delivery), and hence improve the quality of life that is central to human development while minimizing environmental impact. ACES, under the auspices of the Clean Cooling Network, directly contributes to the realisation of this long-term vision. In our approach we initially concentrate on understanding the needs for clean cold-chain, followed by building capacity and skills and the development of a financeable business model. Only after these have been achieved do we focus on bringing equipment considerations into play. Our intervention is a fully integrated systems-based initiative that does not take the usual path of conflating a cold-chain with simple storage but instead embraces a seamless source-to-end use approach.

Improving livelihoods in rural communities

In the food sector, previous initiatives in Rwanda have piloted the training of farmers on appropriate postharvest handling techniques aimed at reducing food losses, for example by using Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC)^[2]. However, this is not enough, as a clean cold-chain encompasses not only storage but a combination of technologies which can pre-cool produce before storage and then properly package and (cold) transport it to lucrative markets. These are still needed in many parts of the country. 

Targeted investments in all areas of clean cooling can directly impact rural livelihoods, particularly for smallholder farmers who are often most exposed to climate-related risks. However, access remains low. In 2019, Rwanda’s National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) carried out a technology audit^[3] of the fruits and vegetables value chain, which revealed that only 5% of firms in the food and agriculture sector possess a refrigerated truck for transport, and merely 9% have a cold room for storing fresh produce. Furthermore, only 1% of the country’s total cold storage capacity is utilized for fruit and vegetables.

Reliable cold chains also strengthen healthcare delivery. In rural clinics, temperature-sensitive medicines and vaccines depend on reliable, appropriately specified refrigeration. For example, during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, solar-powered fridges and cold rooms helped ensure vaccine integrity, even in areas of Rwanda with limited access to electricity.

Building the capacity of rural communities to maintain, upgrade, and scale up clean cooling infrastructure is central to their agro-economy and health, as is wider national mapping and foresighting clean cooling needs that can help enable 2050 goals to be achieved. These, together with ensuring that cooling is recognized as critical infrastructure and properly planned, are among the ACES missions aligned with Rwanda’s Vision 2050.

Taking our approach will enable communities to become resilient and self-reliant in food and nutrition security for the good health of their population. Saving food is as important as producing it, and looking ahead to 2050, greater capacity building, demonstrations and assembly of clean cooling technologies, as well as improved access to financing interventions, must be scaled up to meet the future food and nutrition needs of an increasing population in a world projected to become much warmer in the decades ahead. 

Regional and continental collaboration, technology deployment and knowledge sharing

Rwanda’s initiatives have garnered attention from regional partners and international organisations in search of scalable models for sustainable cooling. While the country has made progress, the aim is not to lead but to collaborate. ACES provides a platform for shared learning, bringing together governments, industry partners, and academic institutions to develop and test clean cooling technologies, recognising that what works in Rwanda may need to be adapted for use elsewhere. By sharing what we learn, we can help accelerate progress across the region.

In line with this approach, ACES operates through a Hub-and-Specialized Knowledge Outreach Enterprise (SPOKE) model. Each SPOKE demonstrates the complete operation of a clean cold-chain within actual smallholder farmer communities, linking local production to markets. These SPOKEs are planned to be strategically situated across various African countries, creating a network of practical learning sites. Insights and best practices from each location are exchanged across the network, accelerating deployment and broadening access to clean cold-chain solutions for all.

Additionally, ACES's innovative approach is to first carry out a needs assessment, and train community mobilisers and farmers to create a base of knowledge (or capital), before introducing cleaning cooling technologies. This ensures that farmers have the capacity to drive efficient use of equipment, search for markets, and finance their operations with coaching and mentorship from ACES. 

Addressing climate-induced migration

Climate change is increasing pressure on rural communities and by investing in cold-chain infrastructure, countries can enhance their resilience and minimise the risks associated with climate related shocks. Unpredictable rainfall, the increased incidence of crop diseases, and heat stress affecting food-producing animals, are among the challenges that must be mitigated to achieve Vision 2050. Doing so will help address economic instability in Rwanda and likewise in other sub-Saharan African countries. Conversely, failing to take appropriate mitigation actions, including those related to cooling, could drive people to migrate in search of better opportunities. While clean cooling is not a comprehensive solution, it can contribute by enhancing food security and income stability, as well as health outcomes, which may lessen the drivers of migration.

Looking ahead

As Rwanda continues to develop its clean cooling initiatives, the focus remains on practical, affordable, accessible, sustainable, and locally managed solutions. The lessons learned by ACES could offer valuable guidance for other countries working to build climate-resilient economies. Clean cold-chain infrastructure is a critical component of climate adaptation, and it is becoming increasingly evident that it plays a vital role in supporting communities and reducing vulnerability throughout sub-Saharan Africa.