Broadening Access to Finance for Unlocking Cold Chain Growth in Africa

The lack of sufficient and efficient cold chain infrastructure is a major contributor to food losses and the reason many agribusinesses are missing opportunities in the fast-growing fresh produce global market. It is estimated that 55% of fruits and vegetables are lost and that African agribusinesses are participating with less than 10% of the total trade of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Establishing an uninterrupted series of cold storage and refrigerated distribution facilities, especially for fresh fruit and vegetables, within maintained temperature conditions, not only requires the infrastructure and technology, but also the right financial tools.

Finance for cold chain developments requires strategies that allow increasing capital access by eliminating risk-related barriers to agribusinesses, such as high collateral requirements, elevated risk premiums and also increasing the number of financial operators and financial products available.

The webinar will provide a rich discussion about the context of cold chain finance in Africa, detailing the current situation and challenges, while also presenting different financial innovations that are being implemented for unlocking cold chain growth in Africa.

Time: 10:00 AM EST / 4:00 PM Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna

Location: Virtual

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021