SCALING UP COLD-CHAIN SOLUTIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN

The report examines the impact of cold-chain technologies—such as solar-powered freezers and ice machines—on small-scale fisheries in the Southwest Indian Ocean. It finds that while these solutions significantly reduce post-harvest food loss and boost incomes, they must be paired with strong fisheries governance to prevent overexploitation. The document recommends a funding model combining grants with private management as the most viable approach for the region.

• Cold-chain interventions can drastically reduce post-harvest food loss (PHFL) and increase fisher profitability. In one WWF-led project on the Kenyan coast, PHFL dropped from 30% to nearly zero, and a pilot by IFAD and SunDanzer saw fishers' profits increase by $300 within the first four months due to solar-powered freezers.
• There is a critical risk that improving cold-chain infrastructure may incentivize increased fishing efforts, potentially exacerbating the overexploitation of fisheries. To mitigate this, the report argues that cold-chain deployment must be integrated with strong fisheries governance, data transparency, and sustainable practices such as licensing and patrols.
• The report identifies several cooling technologies with varying trade-offs: cooler boxes and ice flake machines are versatile and easy to operate; solar-powered fridges/freezers offer low operating costs; refrigerated trucks increase market access but are expensive and prone to refrigerant leaks due to poor roads; and cold storage rooms handle large volumes but require significant energy and space.
• The optimal funding model for the Southwest Indian Ocean is identified as a combination of grants and publicly funded projects managed by private partners. This model is seen as most likely to attract financial institution investment and ensures professional operations and maintenance while incorporating profit-sharing for communities.
• Implementation of cold-chain solutions faces significant challenges across four areas: project design (lack of community buy-in), business operations (poor hygiene and handling), technical operations (lack of expertise and spare parts), and finance (seasonality and high input costs).

APA

WWF International (n.d.). SCALING UP COLD-CHAIN SOLUTIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/204/7isj9qekne_WWF_Cool_Blue_Food_Summary_Report_2023.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. SCALING UP COLD-CHAIN SOLUTIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/204/7isj9qekne_WWF_Cool_Blue_Food_Summary_Report_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=SCALING UP COLD-CHAIN SOLUTIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/204/7isj9qekne_WWF_Cool_Blue_Food_Summary_Report_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndscaling, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{SCALING UP COLD-CHAIN SOLUTIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/204/7isj9qekne_WWF_Cool_Blue_Food_Summary_Report_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }