D4: Cool Insights: Broken links in agricultural cold chains and how to fix them

The session will address critical issues in agricultural cold chains by focusing on mapping the technological and commercial maturity of different cooling solutions and optimising operations of underutilised or inappropriately designed assets to avoid white elephants. It will feature insights from local entrepreneurs, ecosystem enablers, and other key actors, shedding light on practical challenges and innovative solutions. The session will underline the need for developing an affordable and accessible value proposition for agricultural producers through the identification of key links beyond first-mile cooling to promote a comprehensive value chain-driven approach to enhance food security, reduce waste, increase farmer incomes, and drive environmental sustainability.