Keep It Cool
Keep It Cool
Keep IT Cool (KIC) was founded in 2020 to address the significant challenge of food spoilage and post-harvest losses in East Africa, particularly for small farmers and fishers. The initiative was started by Francis Nderitu, who recognised the need for sustainable cold storage solutions in a region where temperatures can reach up to 40 degrees celsius, resulting in high levels of food waste. The Shell Foundation partnered with KIC to provide funding and support to pilot solar-powered refrigeration systems and smart distribution models, enabling farmers and fishers to preserve their produce and access reliable markets.
Keep IT Cool (KIC) tackles food spoilage and post-harvest losses by providing localised cold storage units at fish landing sites and retail locations. Unlike traditional cold storage, KIC's model uses decentralised solar-powered refrigerators, ensuring that small-scale farmers and fishers can maintain the quality of their produce without reliance on unreliable electricity grids. KIC’s approach extends beyond refrigeration to encompass a full cold chain solution that streamlines the supply chain for small-scale fishers and farmers. The initiative directly purchases from them at competitive prices, assuming full responsibility for cold storage, transportation, and sale. This model removes intermediaries, ensuring that farmers and fishers receive fair compensation while improving market efficiency. KIC has also established distribution hubs in key urban locations across Kenya, optimising delivery routes and ensuring consistent access to fresh, high-quality products for retailers and consumers. Through a comprehensive cold chain strategy, KIC integrates pre-cooling, cold storage, and temperature-controlled logistics, reducing spoilage and maintaining product quality. Their use of digital market linkages and direct-to-retail sales enables small producers to bypass middlemen, securing stable incomes.
Keep IT Cool (KIC) directly improves the lives of small farmers and fishers by reducing food spoilage, ensuring that a greater portion of their produce reaches the market in good condition, and stabilising income through direct market access. By cutting post-harvest losses and offering competitive prices for the produce, KIC enhances economic security for vulnerable communities, particularly in East Africa, where food waste and unreliable market access are major challenges. The initiative also promotes sustainable livelihoods by providing affordable refrigeration, contributing to long-term environmental and financial stability.
Keep IT Cool (KIC) reduces negative environmental impacts by using solar-powered refrigeration, which eliminates the need for grid electricity and diesel generators, leading to lower carbon emissions. By preventing food spoilage and reducing waste, KIC also ensures that the resources that go into farming are more effectively utilised and that methane emissions from decomposing food are avoided. The waste from fish processing is also refrigerated and sold to small businesses, further reducing waste. Additionally, KIC’s model promotes the use of clean energy and hybrid trucks to transport the produce, contributing to a more sustainable and climate-resilient food supply chain.
Key factors in Keep IT Cool’s success include strategic partnerships with organisations like the Shell Foundation, and funding from UK Aid, which enabled the development and scaling of solar-powered refrigeration solutions. The initiative’s ability to directly connect small farmers and fishers with retail markets, along with a sustainable business model, has also contributed to its growth. Additionally, growing recognition through awards such as the 2024 Earthshot Prize has helped attract further support and expand its impact.
Evidence of Keep IT Cool's positive impact includes a 25% reduction in fish spoilage, saving 1.5 million kg of food since 2022, and an increase in income for 3,600 fisherfolk of over 15%. The initiative currently manages 250,000 kg of produce weekly and supports over 2,000 small businesses and 40 supermarkets. Additionally, it has created local jobs through the operation of cold storage facilities and the expansion of supply chain services, positively contributing to the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and fishers in East Africa.
Keep IT Cool's approach has evolved significantly since its inception. Initially focused on providing solar-powered refrigeration for fisherfolk, the initiative has expanded its scope to include small-scale farmers and a broader range of perishable goods, such as poultry, fruits, and vegetables. This expansion was driven by the recognition of a wider need for sustainable cold storage solutions across various agricultural sectors in East Africa. Additionally, the initiative has developed a more comprehensive supply chain solution by connecting farmers and fishers directly to retail markets, eliminating intermediaries and ensuring fair pricing, which has helped improve income stability for small-scale producers. The evolution reflects a response to market demands, scalability potential, and the desire to enhance its environmental impact while supporting local economies.
Scaling the logistics network to handle increased volumes of produce and expanding its reach to new markets presents logistical and financial challenges. The need for continued investment and funding to support the infrastructure development and expansion of operations across East Africa, and eventually beyond, is also a significant hurdle. Furthermore, regulatory and policy barriers related to cross-border trade and food safety standards can impede market access for small-scale farmers and fishers in some regions.
