How Keep IT Cool is delivering a sustainable food system with zero food waste in Kenya

Why Food Loss & Waste Is A Global Issue

Each year, enormous amounts of food are wasted, contributing to environmental degradation by intensifying pollution, increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and worsening food insecurity. Food waste is not just a social and humanitarian crisis—it is also an environmental and economic disaster that impacts households, businesses, and global economies.

There are far-reaching economic consequences of food waste that go beyond the actual products. When food is wasted, all the resources used to produce, process, transport, and store that food are wasted as well. This inefficiency results in considerable financial losses throughout the entire supply chain, from farmers to retailers, and imposes significant economic burdens at every level. Businesses and households bear the costs of wasted food in the form of increased disposal fees and lost revenue, while nations struggle with the larger economic toll of reduced productivity and resource depletion.

From an environmental perspective, food waste significantly contributes to the climate crisis. The entire process—producing, transporting, and disposing of food—releases substantial CO2 emissions, which degrade ecosystems and the critical services they provide. Globally, food production consumes 80% of all freshwater, 10% of total energy, and 50% of land resources. When food is wasted, so are these valuable resources, resulting in approximately 4.4 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. This makes food waste the third-largest source of carbon emissions worldwide. The misuse of energy, water, and land in producing food that is ultimately wasted not only intensifies GHG emissions but also accelerates biodiversity loss and further strains our already stressed environmental resources.

Additionally, as the global population grows, the demand for nutritious food production rises.? But the reality is that the food we need is already being produced—it’s just being wasted.

Safe and nutritious food that is otherwise wasted could feed 2 billion people (more than double the amount of undernourished people in the world) and saving only one-fourth of food currently wasted could feed 870 million hungry people.

Ultimately, Food Waste is a missed opportunity to save the planet, put nutritious food on plates and boost economic growth by lowering costs across supply chains and communities.

Food Waste In Africa

Food is lost or wasted?along the whole food supply chain: on the farm, in processing and manufacture, in shops, in restaurants and canteens and at home.

In Africa, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, food loss is rampant due to several factors in the supply chain:

Poor Infrastructure: Limited and poor-quality road networks lead to extended transit times, causing perishable goods to spoil. FAO estimates that about 40% of food loss occurs during transportation and processing in these regions.

Inefficient Supply Chain Management: Poor forecasting and demand estimation lead to 30% of food spoiling before it reaches consumers.

Climate Change: Unpredictable weather patterns disrupt crop production, exacerbating food loss. Erratic rainfall and extreme heat are predicted to reduce food production in Africa by up to 30% by 2050.

Limited Market Access: Farmers often have no choice but to sell their produce at low prices or risk letting it spoil due to price fluctuations. This issue is particularly severe in remote areas with poor access to stable markets.

Lack of Refrigeration: Only 4% of food products in sub-Saharan Africa benefit from refrigeration, resulting in significant spoilage of perishables like fish, dairy, and meat.

How Keep IT Cool is delivering a sustainable food system with zero food waste in Kenya

A leading cause of food loss is the absence of adequate refrigeration. In 2017, 12% of global food production was lost due to a lack of effective cold chain solutions. Cold chains are also responsible for 4% of global GHG emissions, calling for the need for more sustainable cold chain practices.

More efficient farming, storage, and cold logistics can substantially reduce waste, increasing farmers’ profits and mitigating environmental damage.

Keep IT Cool has developed a model that leverages technology to ensure reduced post-harvest losses, increase farmers’ income and provide access to lucrative markets.

Providing Ice and Storage Boxes to Fisherfolks in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas

Fisherfolk in regions like Turkana and Lake Victoria struggle with high temperatures, often reaching 40°C, which rapidly spoils their catch. Around 40% of fish is lost in Lake Turkana and 30% in Lake Victoria due to inadequate cold storage and infrastructure.?

Keep IT Cool tackles this by providing cooler boxes, solar-powered ice production, and fish aggregation centres, giving fishermen immediate access to ice. We also offer training on proper fish handling and supply improved equipment, reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices.

Using Cold Logistics to Access Distant Markets

Long-distance food transport means carbon emissions and more food being wasted due to lack of refrigeration. In fact, 40% of food loss occurs during transportation.?

Keep IT Cool employs cold logistics to ensure food remains fresh over long distances. Hybrid trucks further reduce carbon emissions by up to 51%, ensuring that food reaches markets in optimal condition while lowering the environmental impact.

Providing Market Access for Farmers

Fishing remains a vital source of income for millions of people across Africa. However, ensuring sustainable market access is key to reducing food waste and overfishing.?

Keep IT Cool uses technology to collect market data, allowing it to purchase the right quantities from fisherfolk and distribute them to urban markets efficiently. This not only ensures supply chain efficiency but also prevents surplus food from going to waste.

Providing cooling as a service to retailers

Kenya produces large quantities of food, but slow market absorption often leads to food spoiling due to poor storage mechanisms.?

Keep IT Cool provides cooling services to retailers through a leasing model, ensuring that food is properly stored and reaches consumers fresh, minimizing losses along the supply chain.

Partnerships with Retailers to Resell Fish Offcuts

Fish contain highly nutritious products, but many low-income consumers cannot afford premium fish cuts. In 2022, 2.4 billion people, primarily women and rural communities, did not have access to nutritious, safe, and sufficient food year-round.?

Keep IT Cool has partnered with informal retailers to resell fish offcuts at affordable prices, ensuring no part of the fish goes to waste. The organization also supports these retailers with solar-powered freezers, which help reduce operational costs and increase their profit margins.

Conclusion

Keep IT Cool's innovative solutions have earned it global recognition, including its selection as a finalist for the prestigious EarthShot Prize, founded by HRH Prince William. This award celebrates innovations that have the potential to solve some of the planet's most pressing environmental challenges.

As we mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Food Waste, let’s keep in mind that if global food waste could be reduced by just 25%, we could feed an additional 500 million people each year. Moreover, shifting to more sustainable diets would greatly benefit both public health and the environment.

Reducing food waste is not only an opportunity to lower costs but also a key strategy in tackling critical environmental and social challenges like climate change and food insecurity.