Refrigeration has emerged as a strategic pillar for sustainable development in Africa, influencing food security, public health, energy efficiency, and job creation. This priority was strongly underscored at the first International Conference on the Popularization of Refrigeration in Africa (CIVUFA), held on November 12, 2025, in Ouagadougou. Gathering nearly 300 participants from 23 countries, the event outlined a unified continental vision for strengthening the refrigeration and air conditioning sector through institutional support, technology transfer, and capacity building.
The refrigeration industry, which is present in a very large number of economic sectors and at the heart of international trade, should be better understood and considered by decision-makers. In the agricultural sector, for example, an efficient cold chain makes it possible to increase the lifespan of agricultural products between their harvest and consumption, but also to bring the distances between the places of production and consumption closer together, to make production chains economically viable. Refrigeration also has a direct impact on health thanks to the good preservation of foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals, but also thanks to new therapeutic techniques using low temperatures. Air conditioning ensures the conditions of thermal comfort and/or conditions necessary for the performance of certain processes. The innovations introduced by the Kigali Amendment deserve to be known and applied in countries as well. Refrigeration is also closely linked to energy issues, with a share representing about 20% of the total electricity used in the world (source IIF).
In Africa, the mastery of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) sector is an important asset for sustainable development through its transversal and inclusive nature with a capacity to generate thousands of jobs and an important contribution to food sovereignty. It is in this context that the Union of African Associations of Actors in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Actors (U-3ARC), bringing together all the professional associations of refrigeration and air conditioning actors in Africa, organized the 1st International Conference for the Popularization of Refrigeration in Africa (CIVUFA) in concert with these Partners on November 12, 2025 at the Ouaga 2000 International Conference Center.
The 1st edition of CIVUFA on the theme “The refrigeration sector: a new factor with economic, environmental and peoples’ freedom challenges ” aimed to propose a continental action plan for a real management of refrigeration in sustainable development policies and initiatives in Africa. This first edition brought together about 300 participants from 23 countries in Africa and around the world as well as the participation of several international organizations (FAO, UNEP, UNIDO, International Institute of Refrigeration-IIF, Center Galileo-Italy) and the Public Administration of Burkina Faso (Ministry in charge of Agriculture and other ministerial departments, National Ozone Office, ANEREE, Special Delegation of the municipality of Ouagadougou).
The official opening ceremony took place under the chairmanship of the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture and Animal and Fisheries Resources represented by his Technical Advisor and in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad.
The conference program was structured around the following panels:
– High-Level Dialogue on Institutional and Regulatory Frameworks for Refrigeration
– Thematic Session on Cold Chain Challenges and Issues
– Thematic Session on the Development Prospects of Air Conditioning
As part of the activities related to CIVUFA, a film screening on “Post-harvest” Cold and Losses was organized on November 11th, 2025 and the 5th Ordinary General Assembly of U-3ARC was held on November 13th and 14th, 2025 with a day of visits on November 15th, 2025.
The main recommendations from the discussions are as follows.
To the attention of Governments and the Public Sector
1. Ensuring a real promotion of Refrigeration through its institutionalization
2. Establish National Agencies in charge of the promotion of Refrigeration and National Refrigeration Focal Points
3. Monitor the design and operationalization of national and/or cooling action plans in an inclusive approach
4. Initiate the reflection for the reduction or elimination of taxes and customs duties on the import of refrigeration equipment
5. Promoting Public-Private Partnerships in the field of Refrigeration
6. Encourage appropriate and endogenous technologies in the field of Refrigeration
7. Promoting the transfer of technologies and skills in the field of Refrigeration
8. Promoting Energy Efficiency including financial incentives and the adoption of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS)
9. Promoting the use of renewable energies in the field of refrigeration
10. Strengthening the opening of public procurement to refrigeration professionals
11. Strengthen the involvement of national associations of refrigeration professionals and stakeholders in national initiatives and programmes in the field of refrigeration or related fields
12. Promote training schemes including certification and support for young people for professional integration and the creation of companies in the field of refrigeration
13. Implement demonstration projects and encourage the scale-up of refrigeration platforms
14. Encourage refrigeration projects to support food sovereignty and food security initiatives
15. Ensure the establishment of a system for monitoring and evaluating and measuring the impact of projects financed by technical and financial partners in countries
To the attention of Technical and Financial Partners
1. Supporting public and private initiatives to promote refrigeration
2. Supporting the financing of refrigeration platforms
3. Promoting the sharing of experiences between different countries
To the attention U-3ARC and National Associations
1. Continue to lobby the public authorities for the institutionalization of Refrigeration
2. Continue to raise awareness among the various stakeholders on the importance of refrigeration
3. Continue the development and distribution of national directories of refrigeration service providers
4. Strengthen the continuous training of refrigeration technicians in conjunction with the various stakeholders
5. Develop a white paper on successful and failed refrigeration initiatives in Africa in conjunction with all stakeholders
Know more about U-3ARC https://www.u-3arc.org/
