The Status of Food Storage, Transport and Logistics Infrastructure in Africa: Experiences from Uganda, Kenya and Ghana

The document examines the critical state of food storage, transport, and logistics in Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana, noting that underdeveloped infrastructure leads to post-harvest losses of 3040% for perishables. It argues that integrating these systems into agroecological transitionssuch as using solar-powered cold storage and intermediate transport like bicycles and motorbikescan reduce waste and empower smallholder farmers. The brief highlights specific national hurdles, including aflatoxin contamination in Uganda, uneven road networks in Kenya, and a focus on national rather than household storage in Ghana. It recommends that philanthropic and government funding prioritize local stakeholder participation, renewable energy solutions, and evidence-based research to build climate-resilient food systems.

• Underdeveloped food storage, transport, and trade infrastructures in Africa result in high post-harvest losses, which can reach 3040% for perishable goods in Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana.
• In Uganda, traditional storage methods are inefficient, leading to losses of 17.6% for cereals and up to 40% for fruit and vegetables. Additionally, high aflatoxin levels in maize, sorghum, and groundnuts have limited international competitiveness, leading to a 2021 ban on Ugandan maize by Kenya.
• Kenya's food system is hampered by an uneven transportation network where poor-quality rural roads contrast with well-maintained major roads, and a severe lack of storage infrastructure for perishable goods.
• Ghana's food storage systems prioritize national-level enhancement for grains and nuts over household storage for perishables, and poor rural road conditions contribute to food losses exceeding 20%.
• Agroecological transitions can be supported by intermediate transport (motorbikes, 'tuk-tuks', and bicycle taxis) and community storage (granaries and warehouses) to improve market access and reduce emissions.
• The Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) in Uganda, established in 2006, aims to stabilize prices and reduce losses, but is limited by high costs, computer illiteracy among rural farmers, and geographic concentration in central Uganda.
• Philanthropic initiatives are providing targeted solutions, such as AkoFresh's solar-powered refrigerated storage in Ghana which extends crop shelf life from 5 to 21 days, and the WeTu Initiative's off-grid solar cold-storage in Kenya.

APA

Onyango, G. M., Bitariho, R., & Kandawini, N. (2025). The Status of Food Storage, Transport and Logistics Infrastructure in Africa: Experiences from Uganda, Kenya and Ghana. African Climate Foundation. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_F-Food-storage-transport-and-trade_WEB-1.pdf

Chicago

Onyango, George Mark, Robert Bitariho, and Naomi Kandawini. The Status of Food Storage, Transport and Logistics Infrastructure in Africa: Experiences from Uganda, Kenya and Ghana. African Climate Foundation, 2025. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_F-Food-storage-transport-and-trade_WEB-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Onyango |first1=George Mark |last2=Bitariho |first2=Robert |last3=Kandawini |first3=Naomi |title=The Status of Food Storage, Transport and Logistics Infrastructure in Africa: Experiences from Uganda, Kenya and Ghana |publisher=African Climate Foundation |date=2025 |url=https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_F-Food-storage-transport-and-trade_WEB-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{onyango2025status, author = {Onyango, George Mark and Bitariho, Robert and Kandawini, Naomi}, title = {{The Status of Food Storage, Transport and Logistics Infrastructure in Africa: Experiences from Uganda, Kenya and Ghana}}, institution = {African Climate Foundation}, year = {2025}, url = {https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_F-Food-storage-transport-and-trade_WEB-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }