A UNEP-led initiative has helped reduce post-harvest losses and boost farmer incomes in Kenya’s Kinale region through cold-chain infrastructure, including a refrigerated truck, an insulated vehicle, and a cold storage room. Farmers from the Lari Horticultural Cooperative Society, who previously lost up to 40% of their crops, now report minimal losses and income increases of around 50%.
The project is part of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chains (ACES), a partnership led by UNEP’s United for Efficiency (U4E) with the University of Birmingham, the Government of Rwanda, and academic institutions. It is supported by the Government of the United Kingdom. In Kenya, ACES has trained over 300 farmers in logistics, pricing strategies, and post-harvest crop management.
Farmers use the new equipment to store and transport broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, cabbage, courgettes, leeks, kale, and potatoes. The infrastructure has allowed them to reduce dependence on middlemen, access direct-to-consumer markets, and improve product quality. According to cooperative members, the project has also created new job opportunities.
UNEP and its partners plan to expand ACES beyond Kenya and Rwanda to other African countries. “By spreading such approaches, we can support tens of thousands of farmers, reduce food losses, slow greenhouse gas emissions and protect vital natural resources – delivering benefits for both people and planet,” said Hongpeng Lei, Chief of UNEP’s Climate Mitigation Branch.
The initiative was highlighted ahead of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, jointly observed by UNEP and FAO on 29 September 2025.
