Renewables, Farmer Aggregation Offer Solutions to Africa’s Post-Harvest Losses

At the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, experts explored how renewable energy can ease the burden on farmers. Here Shifra Ainomugisha poses beside a solar-powered irrigation system in Uganda. She was named the 2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year for the development of AI and solar-powered agricultural technologies. Credit: Solar Farm Ugandaby Farai Shawn Matiashe (kigali)Friday, October 02, 2026Inter Press Service KIGALI, October 2 (IPS) - Post-harvest losses, particularly in rural areas, threaten the gains Africa is making in agricultural production and export capacity. In Sub-Saharan Africa, up to 40% of farm produce is lost because of a lack of cold storage, according to industry players.Highly perishable farm produce, like fruits and vegetables, can go as high as 70%.With agriculture accounting for one-third of the Gross Domestic Product and employing over 60%, such a loss threatens jobs and the livelihoods of millions of people.Farmers in Africa grapple with a lack of reliable refrigeration, an underdeveloped cold chain and unreliable power storage, leaving harvests to heat and spoilage.Poor road networks and limited refrigerated transport options also worse...