Rwanda’s Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA 5) outlines an ambitious five-year roadmap designed to revolutionise the nation's agri-food systems, driving economic growth, enhancing food security, and strengthening resilience. By 2028/29, the plan targets an agricultural GDP growth rate of 6.1% - a significant increase from the 2023 level of 2% - and projects export earnings to exceed $1.5 billion. Achieving these goals, however, relies heavily on developing a robust, efficient, sustainable, resilient, and equitable cold-chain infrastructure.
The Clean Cooling Network (CCN) is a global initiative “born in Rwanda” with a mission to make sustainable, resilient and equitable cooling and cold-chain a cornerstone of development. CCN promotes cooling and cold-chain as critical national infrastructure, providing essential tools, knowledge, training, and support to implement inclusive, equitable, and future-proofed solutions with minimal environmental impact. As on the ground delivery, the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) in Kigali, Rwanda, serves as the flagship hub for CCN in Africa. Established in 2020 by the Government of Rwanda, in partnership with the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the United Nations Environment Programme’s United for Efficiency, and a consortium of international and Rwandan universities, ACES is the first-of-its-kind centre dedicated to sustainable, resilient and equitable cooling and cold-chain.
The CCN and ACES can play a pivotal and multifaceted role in supporting Rwanda's agricultural transformation, including:
Capacity building – By organizing continuous professional development and train the trainer programmes, workshops, and knowledge-sharing events, ACES equips farmers, extension workers, and cold-chain operators with the necessary skills and knowledge in technology selection and business plans to post-harvest handling, temperature management, and food safety practices, ensuring the effective and efficient use of cold-chain infrastructure.
Developing local technical expertise in sustainable cooling – Through its vocational and technical training programs, scholarships, and research opportunities, ACES can build a pipeline of skilled professionals and refrigeration and solar energy engineers capable of designing, installing, and maintaining cold-chain infrastructure in Rwanda. This will reduce the reliance on foreign expertise, create sustainable employment opportunities in the cooling sector and support the development of robust and deliverable business planning.
Research and innovation hub – With its own Environmental Test Chamber and Variable Temperature Rooms and Labs, ACES also serves as a unique hub for developing, testing and demonstrating cooling technologies tailored to local needs and challenges. This includes conducting research on appropriate cooling solutions for different crops and climates, as well as developing innovative business models for cold-chain operation and management.
Modelling and system design – Using novel sophisticated, self-organising complex virtual models, we can enable Government and development agencies to understand and develop optimised and future-proofed cold-chain for food and health. These include the capability to evaluate the holistic benefits and cost of cold-chain infrastructure in specific local contexts and over different timeframes allowing greater integration of cold-chain plans with country development plans, priorities, and future needs and challenges, including climate change. Thereafter, data gathering and auditing tools can quantify the impact and guide on-going programme development.
Data - Data capture, management and analysis is key to resilient, collaborative, and future-ready supply chains. However, few fleet operators and community/co-operative farmer groups currently have the necessary skills and information required to answer the range of technical questions that need to be urgently answered. With a democratised strategy, we can support all stakeholders through the field to retailer supply-chain with curated data and technical resources and web-based calculator/planner tools as well as the associated training and support.
Knowledge broker - Through its wider work, ACES facilitates the transfer of best practices and innovative cooling technologies to and within Rwanda. This includes providing access to information on best in class cooling solutions suitable for the Rwandan context. By connecting Rwandan stakeholders with global experts and technology providers, the CCN can accelerate the adoption of clean cooling and cold-chain strategies and solutions. CCN also provides access to cold-chain needs assessment methodologies and design tools that enable development of optimised, end-to-end cold-chains aligned with national developmental targets.
Demonstration centre - showcasing the benefits of sustainable cooling to farmers, policymakers, and investors. By establishing model cold-chain facilities and conducting pilot projects (including Try Before You Buy schemes with farming co-operatives), ACES can provide tangible evidence of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of investing in sustainable cooling. This will help to build confidence in these technologies and encourage wider adoption across Rwanda.
Mobilising investment - Through targeted demonstration projects and pilot initiatives and supporting communities in developing robust business models, CCN and ACES can effectively showcase the tangible economic and environmental benefits of clean cooling and cold-chain solutions, attracting both public and private sector investment, directly addressing one of the primary barriers to sustainable cold-chain development in Rwanda. Through its network of investors, development agencies, and philanthropic organisations, CCN can further facilitate access to financing for cold-chain.
In conclusion, CCN and ACES have a vital role to play in delivering Rwanda's PSTA 5 supporting its overarching policy direction and providing the investment framework essential for the transformative growth of Rwanda's agricultural sector. Simultaneously, CCN and ACES deliver the crucial expertise, targeted investments, and innovative solutions necessary for establishing a robust, sustainable, and resilient cold-chain infrastructure.
This integrated approach not only can accelerate the attainment of Rwanda’s agricultural goals under PSTA 5 but also contribute to climate change mitigation, improved livelihoods, and enhanced food security for the Rwandan people. By prioritising collaboration and innovation, CCN and ACES can enable Rwanda can harness the power of clean cooling and cold-chain to transform its agricultural sector and build a more prosperous, sustainable and resilient future.
If this topic interests you, consider attending the Accelerating Clean Cold-Chains Workshop at the ACES centre in Kigali, Rwanda on 11-12th June 2025.